By PAUL YOST ©Copyright-2009 Houston5ABaseball.com

This statement alone could be very controversial to this population, but I believe it to be very accurate and true. Where did we come up with the idea that long distance running benefit athletes in a power sport? I'm not exactly sure, but I would have to say the aerobic movement a while back had something to do with it. For some reason, it stuck with baseball. While it can be a part of your training program, I strongly suggest it take a backseat to everything else you do.

4 Reasons For Excluding/Minimizing LSD

1. Reduction of strength and power. Long distance training can lower testosterone levels and can have an adverse effect on muscle fibers. What does this mean? Slower velocities on the mound and at the plate. You'll probably slow down on the base paths as well. Maybe you can take up cross country?

2. Little to no carryover to the sport. Where in baseball does any athlete have to perform anything in a repetitive, slow and continuous fashion? I can't think of anything, can you? And please don't tell me running on and off the field - heard it before and think that's a little ridiculous.

3. Increased risk for injury. Yes, I said long distance running can lead to injury. You wouldn't think so because the intensity is fairly low, but it can happen. The movement pattern is repetitive and continuous, which can beat up your feet, knees and back. Anything done repetitively in high volumes can have negative consequences in the long term.

4. Reinforced compensation patterns. Long distance work relies almost exclusively on the quads. This means even less work for the glutes and hamstrings - typically underdeveloped all ready. This can result in poor posture and improper strength ratios.

The Replacements

1. Sprinting. Using sprint training for this sport makes a lot of sense. You do occasionally sprint hard out of the box, right? Think about the length of time and effort in the majority of movements on the field. Sure, some are slow, but most are fairly rapid. It's a lot like sprinting, isn't it?

2. Intervals. This is conditioning done on a bike or running on the field or treadmill. The difference between this and LSD is there are breaks in between bouts, the intensity of effort is more specific to the sport and the volume is lower and/or more effective. This will tax your system in a more appropriate way and get you ready to play. You'll probably also have more "baseball endurance".

Conclusion