Although he ranked second in the majors to former Phillies teammate Ryan Howard with 185 strikeouts, Byrd hit a career-high 25 homers in a personal-high 591 at-bats. 'This is all for flexibility, strength and cardio.”īyrd enjoyed one of his most productive seasons last year at age 36. 'I can’t run to get in shape, so I need to do other things,' Byrd said. It’s tough, but you have to reinvent yourself with ways that help keep you on the field. 'What they’ve done (in terms of longevity) is so impressive. 'Look at guys like Julio Franco or Derek Jeter or LaTroy Hawkins,' Byrd said. He addressed the issue openly at the time and said he had mistakenly taken a prohibited substance to deal with a personal medical issue - not to gain a competitive advantage on the field.Īs he enters his late 30s, Byrd continues to ramp up his fitness regimen because he knows it's the best way to increase his baseball shelf life. So offseason training is paramount.īyrd had his own brush with MLB's drug policy in 2012, when he received a 50-game suspension for taking a banned substance.

In an age of more stringent PED testing and amphetamine bans, ballplayers who last until their late 30s or early 40s are now the exception. That observation couldn’t be further from reality. Byrd also has a personal sprint coach, a Muay Thai kicking-boxing instructor and a Bulgarian Bag coach.įans and media members might look at Byrd’s 6-foot, 245-pound physique and think he’s conditioning-impaired. When Byrd wasn’t honing his swing with his hitting coach, Doug Latta, he was working with his kettle bell instructor, Steve Cotter. On a 1 to 10 punishment scale, it was only a cut or two below Uma Thurman's training regimen in 'Kill Bill: Volume 2.'

The rigors of training camp can’t compare with the routine that Byrd subjected himself to at his winter home in Los Angeles. To him, it’s like a vacation compared with the offseason. At Cactus and Grapefruit League sites throughout baseball, major leaguers regard spring training as drudgery, a useful means of building team chemistry, or an occupational necessity for the long season that lies ahead.Īt age 37, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd has a slightly different take on spring training.

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