Dodgers' Gonzalez training at Pacquiao's gym to stay in shape

Marvin Somodio, who has worked with the likes of Manny Pacquiao and James Toney at Hollywood's famous Wild Card Boxing Club, recently began his second straight winter of training with a promising pupil, albeit one who does more damage in the batter's box than in the ring: Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who's poised to make his fourth straight Opening Day start at first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2016, first incorporated boxing into his offseason workout regimen three years ago, and the five-time All-Star continues to rave about the effects it has on his body.

"I find I get more work and better work out of this than lifting weights," Gonzalez told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. "This gets my core strong, my shoulders strong, my back strong, which are three of the things I need most in baseball."

Unwilling to let idle time wreak havoc on his body, Gonzalez, who turns 34 in May, began his offseason workouts less than two weeks after his club was eliminated by the New York Mets in the National League Division Series. (He doesn't spar, though, with the Dodgers set to pay him nearly $22 million to play first base this season).

"I feel like the older I get, the more time I take off, the more time it takes me to get back into it," he said. "So if I take a month off, it will take me a month just to get my body back into that kind of shape."

Gonzalez's offseason diligence has paid major dividends for him throughout his career. Since 2006, Gonzalez has played in more MLB games (1,589) than anybody on the planet, missing no more than six games in each of the last 10 seasons. His productivity hasn't waned, either, as the former No. 1 pick hit .275/.350/.480 (129 OPS+) with 28 homers in 156 games in 2015.

Gonzalez, who's set to earn roughly $66 million through 2018, also noted that he's prepared to adjust when his physical tools start to decline.

"I'm a realist," he said. "I'm not a guy who's trying to be something I'm not. I know what I need to do to be the best I can be. A lot of people, they hit a wall and they don't know how to get over it because they say, 'This is what I've done my whole life.' That's why a lot people get to a certain age and can't play anymore. They only know one way. I can adjust."