Players endurance base tested to the limit
WEEK two began with a tough Monday morning for the players including high intensity half mile runs with minimal recovery periods. Jim Bentley said: “It’s just what we want, as it’s not only a test of their fitness but a test of their character and their will to dig deep when the going gets tough.”
The times of the runs were timed and logged. The players have also been wearing heart rate monitors that supply Chris Squirrell with accurate data on how hard each player is working and how fast they’re able to recover.
The Sports Scientist said: “We’re using the Polar heart software to give us live information on the player’s workload during all of our pre season sessions.
“This information can be presented to the manager during any training exercises to highlight any player who is overworking or not working hard enough. We can then look at how each player is recovering from a training session or activity and this helps us to plan individual and group training programmes.”
The afternoon session involved some light to moderate ball work working in groups, followed by some injury prevention and core stability work.
Tuesday was a slightly lighter day including three sessions ranging from 60 to 90 minutes. The day began with more core and stability work followed by a ball work session focusing on technique and possession specific to each of the players’ positions.
The afternoon session held at 3-1-5 Health Club was an extended version of the strength and conditioning work that the players carried out themselves throughout the summer and will continue right throughout the season.