Since making his MLB debut in 2011, all Mike Trout has done is prove he’s one of the best players in baseball history. The Los Angeles Angels outfielder has earned seven All-Star appearances, two Most Valuable Player Awards, and six Silver Slugger awards, all while putting up numbers that compare to—and are better than—hot shots in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
And it looks like 2019 is going to be a continuation of that trend. After just one week of games, Trout ranks in the top five in Major League Baseball in batting average, home runs, slugging percentage, and RBIs. He leads the league in on-base percentage and walks—and he also hit a home run in four straight games.
Not bad for a guy who just signed a record-setting 12-year, $430 million extension with the Angels.
We caught up with Trout to talk about his training routine, the best advice he’s ever received, working with BODYARMOR, and the legendary MLB pitcher he’d most like to face off against.
How much have you changed your training routine since coming into the majors? What are some of your favorite workouts to train with?
For me, it’s been keeping the same routine that I’ve had over the last few years. In the offseason, you want to get bigger, stronger and faster, and during the season, you obviously just want to maintain it. I do a lot of full body workouts personally. I like to do squats, deadlifts, bench press, and the hardcore lifting during the offseason. And then during the season, I work to maintain it – lighter weight but more reps. I try to be explosive in all my workouts no matter what I’m doing.
What are some of the ways you stay on top of your diet during the season?
Just checking my weight all of the time and being cognizant. I’m going to be losing weight as it fluctuates throughout the full season. But I try to be consistent in what I’m eating and try to eat healthy, and that helps me. I also always make sure that I’m hydrated and drinking what I need to prevent from cramping up—I use BodyArmor for that.
You’re a big BODYARMOR fan, and a lot of people consider BODYARMOR to be the next big thing in the sports drink world—why do you prefer BODYARMOR over other sports drinks?
BODYARMOR is coming to a point where every year, there’s a new flavor or something new coming out whether it’s their SportWater or LYTE (sports) drink. It’s all natural and for me, I’m always using it during workouts so it helps me stay hydrated and prevent from cramping up. So for me, it’s been something that’s been helping me throughout my whole career to this point.
What’s the best advice you ever received and how have you used it in your baseball career?
The best advice I ever received is to never give up and always try to prove people wrong. I think growing up in the Northeast, people say it’s a disadvantage for guys who play baseball. And for me, it’s just trying to prove them wrong.
How should a person handle failure? How about success?
I think—just in our sport—generally you’re going to fail the majority of the time. Staying positive and continuing to have that positive mindset is key and it helps me through the tough times.
If you could face off against any pitcher in baseball history, who would it be and what stadium would you choose?
Probably Nolan Ryan. And it would probably be coolest to face him at Angels Stadium given all the haters, the history and his career overall. It would definitely be a cool challenge.
Here’s a workout example of something that’s similar to what Mike Trout does sometimes (feel free to adjust reps for your skill/workout level):
