TKO Athletic Performance

Hard truths for baseball players…

1. You’re not practicing speed enough.

To make real speed gains, you have to be sprinting more. Just like getting swing reps at the cages, you have to get reps after reps to build the skill and coordination of speed.

2. The weight room won’t fix your speed technique.

The weight room has importance but it won’t fix your sprint ability and shouldn’t be prioritized over speed training. Speed training has direct transfer to your movement around the diamond. Speed is about coordination and fluidity—the weight room won’t cut it.

3. Your ankles and feet are the weak link.

Your feet and ankles are always overlooked. They are the base of force transfer through the kinetic chain. Strong and connected feet = better force transfer through the entire system.

4. Your first 10 yards matter the most.

Your early acceleration tells us almost everything about your speed and explosiveness. Baseball players thrive on the ability to generate force very quickly. Your first 10 yards are a representation of that ability.

Like it or not, the 60 yard dash is an important recruiting metric for prep baseball athletes.

This athlete came into our program with a very specific goal: to achieve a sub-7.0 second 60 yard dash.

He stands on the precipice of crushing this goal in under nine months. A phenomenal effort from one of our most consistent and hard-working athletes.

How did he do it?

Show up to one TKO speed academy group class per week, no matter what…for the last 8+ months.

Hammer the basics and fundamentals of speed.

Execute every drill with purpose.

Get busy in the weight room.

And show up. Every damn week.

6.9 will fall soon.

Want to know what your 60 looks like before a combine or showcase? Hit the link in bio!

Max speed requires max rest.

Every second of true max-effort sprinting requires up to 40–60x that in rest.

So a 5-second sprint demands 4–5 MINUTES of rest before the next one.

Sounds excessive until you understand why.

Max effort sprinting thrives on an energy system that takes 3–5 minutes to fully refuel, IF you are really fit.

Not only that, but sprinting requires so much coordination and brain power that hitting another rep before you are completely recuperated, can dramatically reduce your power output and technique.

Without full recovery, you’re not training speed anymore. You’re stuck in the ugly middle ground where you get neither faster nor better conditioned.

And it gets stricter as the session goes on.

The longer you sprint and the deeper you get into the workout, the more depleted you get.

So the rest you needed at rep 1 isn’t enough by rep 6. You have to ADD rest later in the workout, as a buffer to prevent more fatigue.

This is the difference between an explosive athlete whose times continue to go down and a fatigued athlete with mediocre speed and mediocre fitness.

TLRD: Speed is built fresh. Rest A LOT so you can give every rep your fastest, sharpest effort.

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