Six years later, the New York Mets first baseman has achieved something more meaningful. Hes Major League Baseballs reigning home-run champ, thanks to 245 pounds of country muscle and light-tower power. And right now hes busting out a 5:30 a.m. off-season workout in a barn (yes, barn) in swampy Odessa, Florida, a rack of dumbbells on one side and a pile of medicine balls on the other.

Alonso is grunting his way through an hour-long sweat session with trainers Danny Wood, C.S.C.S., and Ryan Rigau. Theres no heat or A/C, no TVs, and no kettlebellsjust one overworked speaker blaring overtrebled Metallica. Its chilly out, but steam rises from Alonsos head and shoulders.

Workouts like this one helped the slugger play 161 games as a rookie and actually get stronger as the year went on, crushing a league-best 11 homers in September. But this isnt just about dingers. He does it all in the same gym hes used since his senior year of high school. Wood and Rigau run their training business, Athletes Retreat, here. I love the barn, Alonso says, and he also loves the early workouts. Its time to go, he says of morning training. Ive got a job to do. Were getting after it.

The best part: The trainers help him build the strength he needs without any fancy equipment. The reason I keep coming back is because every year, he says, I get better. The workout takes about 90 minutes, and Alonso enjoys it all. Sort of. During? Youre like, Fuck this, he says. You love it afterward.

Use these exercises from Alonso to build muscle that can aid you on the baseball diamond (and strong, functional muscle in general).

Alonso starts every workout by walking across a four-foot-long mat covered in small rocks. Called a rock mat and available on Amazon, it loosens tight foot tissue. Think of your body as a building, Alonso says. Without a strong foundation, it wont cooperate.

Cable Wood Chop

The ability to rotate your torso is key to a baseball swing-and to everyday strength, too. The wood chop is an Alonso favorite. Start by holding a cable attachment at your hip, then pull it across your body to your opposite shoulder. Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps per side.

Strong glutes help Alonso finish every swing with a home-run uppercut. He does bodyweight back extensions to build that strength. To do them, set up on in a back extension machine, core tight, a bar behind your neck. Lower your torso toward then ground, then drive back up, squeezing your glutes as you do. Do 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

Your lower body starts a baseball swing, but your upper body finishes it. Alonso mimics that with a unique move, the depth jump to broad jump medball throw. To do it, stand on a small box with a med ball at your chest. Step off it, then leap forward. As you do, throw the med ball hard. Do 3 sets of 3 reps. Quality over quantity, says Wood.

All this strength only helps if Alonso can move his body explosively. He builds that power with 3 sets of heavy tire flips across a 20-yard turf field near the barn. Focus on technique when you do these: Grasp the tire underneath, and squat down. Keeping your core tight, deadlift the tire upwards, then lean it against your thigh, flip your hands, and push it over, driving with your legs.