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Austin Hays, an outfielder for the Orioles, couldn't play baseball as well as he could until he stopped training like a football player.
Hays played in 131 games last season, which was by far the most of his career, but he had to deal with hamstring strains and play through the pain of a sports hernia that had to be fixed on October 5 in Philadelphia.
In contrast, he's played 80 games this year without going on the injured list, but a sore right wrist kept him out of the lineup yesterday. Hays gives credit to the changes in his training that began in 2021 for this welcome change.
Austin Hays' agent, Francis Marquez of The MAS+ Agency, put the outfielder in touch with Theo Aasen, who owns Optimal Athlete Kollective in Tampa and is a strength and conditioning coach. Gary Sánchez, a catcher for the Twins, and Ryan Watson, a minor league pitcher for the Orioles, have also worked out with Aasen.
The main point is that going to the gym and becoming a beast can sometimes do more harm than good. A little less be more beneficial, especially for athletes.
According to Austin:
"There's a lot more movement going on. I still do base training and less weight lifting, but not as much as I used to. It's more to keep your joints strong and work on the small muscles."
How Did Austin Hays Changed Workout Help Him?
Austin Hays started his new training regimen last year. Since he was playing with the hernia, he was overcompensating and getting tight in many areas, which was getting extremely dangerous. He dealt with two hamstring issues because he ran differently to accommodate the hernia.
Besides the hernia, though, Austin felt the best he had ever felt while playing. Hence, he continued with that training in the offseason instead of trying to gain 10 pounds, bulk up, and come into spring training heavier. He credits this decision to getting off to a good start this year, as he didn't have to go through an adjustment period where he had to lose weight, thin down, and get loose.
Hays felt as if he was in baseball playing shape from the season's first game. That tight feeling he usually had while transitioning from the off-season into the first few games was gone. This was a great help to him this past year.
Austin also works with the strength and performance staff at Orioles to get the best of both worlds. If there are areas they feel he's lacking in, Austin makes the required changes in his workout to ensure he's in top form.
It has been more of a mindset change for Austin Hays. Earlier, it was about trying to be big and strong—that's what he felt would work well for him in the game, but he has realized that that is not the case. Austin now believes he was hurting himself by trying to accomplish that (being bigger) and feels good since he started working out with Theo Aasen.
Aasen was aware that Hays was laboring last season due to injury and reached out to Marquez.
Aasen said:
"I was talking to Francis, and I said, 'I can fix him, I know what's going on.'"
When Austin Hays told Aasen what was happening, the latter suggested that Austin get started on some basic mobility exercises and dive into his method and theory on keeping his body going through the season.
Many athletes think they need to be this professional exerciser, but that's not the point. According to Aasen, they just need to be good movers and have quality movement. They need to understand that their bodies are like that of a cat, especially baseball players, because they have to stand for a long time, and all of a sudden, they have to act quickly.
It's all about creating that supple body, and that's what Aasen and his team did with Austin Hays. They were able to get his body prepared to where it's almost like he doesn't have to warm up. Austin just feels good all the time, and his joints have strength through all the ranges. His nervous system is just ready to go at all times.
How has it Impacted Austin Hays' Performance?
A positive attitude while going in leads to a positive result on the field. Austin Hays' defense has been great. He made a diving catch in Chicago and landed on the right field line. At Camden Yards, he ran toward the left field line and caught Kurt Suzuki's fly ball to end a 1-0 win.
He has found it easy to cover the extra area to the left. On that side, he is the best choice. And his body recovers quickly!
The old-school style of strength or stronger means bigger muscles and more weight. But that isn't what really needs to be done. Athletes need to be able to move better and have more freedom in their joints. They also need to be strong in all of those joint ranges.
It's like Austin Hays is working on his flexibility, but imagine if he had all that flexibility and strength in that range. If he brings his leg all the way up to his head, he doesn't have to pull it; he can do it on his own, Aasen says.
Austin notes:
"I feel like I can play every day pain-free. I'm ready to go every day. There are little things here and there just from being sore, but that's what you expect, that's part of the fatigue, it's part of the game. But that's all that an athlete should feel from playing this sport—just feel a little bit of fatigue. These injuries can be prevented."
