Mets star Robinson Canó says fitness advice from former Yankee Alex Rodriguez helped mold him into an All-Star infielder

• The MLB star Robinson Canó played with the Yankees from 2005 to 2013.
• Canó said Alex Rodriguez helped instill fitness habits that helped mold him into an All-Star.

The New York Mets star Robinson Canó said fitness advice from the former New York Yankees great Alex Rodriguez motivated him to dial up his training.

Canó told Insider that when he joined the Yankees in 2005, Rodriguez went out of his way to advise him on lifestyle and fitness habits he should follow.

"I remember A-Rod saying, 'Let's work out,' so I went and worked out with him," he said.

Canó said that training with Rodriguez kept him strong and durable for a full 162-game season, helping the Yankees win the World Series in 2009.

Canó said Rodriguez motivated him to wake up early to do extra weightlifting, run drills on the backfield, and practice hitting drills with men in scoring position, adding that Rodriguez encouraged him to inspire other teammates to ramp up their workouts.

He said Rodriguez's advice helped him make eight All-Star games.

Canó left the Yankees after the 2013 season. He played for the Seattle Mariners from 2014 to 2018 before getting traded to the Mets in 2019.

Canó said that when he joined the Mets, the team's training intensity wasn't on the same level as the Yankees' was. He said the Yankees would work out late at night and stretch, which he didn't see with the Mets initially.

"Coming to the Mets, you got more younger guys, and the guys train, but it's not the same — those guys took it to another level," Canó said.

Now Canó shares his training tips with younger Mets players, as Rodriguez did with him in 2005.

"Now every time I have a chance with the guys, I share with them — so when they ask me what I do, what you can do, and how to prepare myself, I tell them how," he said.