Former Cubs Pitcher Kyle Farnsworth Got SWOLL
Do you remember former Chicago Cubs pitcher, Kyle Farnsworth? I’m sure you remember that moment he speared Cincinnati Reds pitcher, Paul Wilson.
Did you know that after Farnsworth’s baseball days were over, he decided to take a chance at football? I mean, with that takedown, why not? But he didn’t just play some rec league, flag football. No, Kyle started playing professional football (semi-professional) for the Orlando Phantoms of the Florida Football Alliance.
Yes, the tall, athletic reliever for the Cubs turned into a defensive end. This is a position usually put aside for bigger dudes. While Farnsworth was always fit, and strong, he didn’t scream DE to me. But, fast-forward to today, and Kyle is swoll. Like, his swoll is swoll.
Time to make a come back!!! 🤔🤔🤔 1 of my exercises I like to do for my athletes. 3 sets of 10 with 32 oz weighted ball. pic.twitter.com/JsX1LUjgsq
— Kyle Farnsworth (@24_7Farnsworth) October 17, 2020
In 2015, Farnsworth wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune, ‘The Guide to Getting Old Man Strength.’
Farnsworth details his journey to become a football player and how the perception that baseball players aren’t “fit”. That’s mostly true, traditionally. Outside of a few hulking players, baseball is a sport where flexibility and agility and endurance over an extended 162-game season dominates the fitness plans of professional ballplayers.
Pre-1990s, players didn’t focus on strength training as much. Sure, playing a professional sport, at the highest of levels, required a certain level of strength training. But, it wasn’t a major focus. Farnsworth made it a major focus, and is likely something that helped him have the very respectable career that he had.
Here’s a snapshot of Kyle’s weekly training schedule.
Monday — Legs:
Squats; leg press; leg extensions; leg curls; roman deadlifts.
Tuesday — Back:
Deadlifts; wide-grip pull-downs; close-grip pull-downs; seated cable rows; dumbbell rows; back extensions.
Wednesday — Chest:
Incline press; bench press; dips; pushups; cable flys.
Thursday — Shoulders:
Shoulder press; upright rows; front raises; side raises; rear-delt raises; shrugs.
Friday — Triceps & biceps:
Triceps press-downs; close-grip bench-press; skull crushers; weighted dips; dumbbell curls; straight-bar curls; rope curls; hammer curls.
Saturday and Sunday — Active rest.
If you recall, another former Cubs pitcher, Jake Arrieta, also had a strict training regimen. While Jake focused on strength training – and a near impossible diet – his trick was pilates.
I became first aware of Farnsworth’s fitness at the Cubs Convention. I still believe they needed a team of people to get the Cubs jersey around Kyle’s arms, and they likely needed to surgically remove it Sunday afternoon.
