7:00am Thursday 2nd July 2009
By Neil Perrett
BOSS Eddie Howe is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares his Cherries squad for the coming campaign.
Howe’s charges will today kick off their pre-season at Southampton Solent University under the watchful eye of Stewart Bruce-Low, senior lecturer in sport and exercise science.
And Howe has also enlisted the help of strength and conditioning coach Jon Dalzell who will spend the next month working on a daily basis with the players.
Outlining the programme at Solent University, Howe told the Daily Echo: “The lads will go through a series of tests which I think will benefit them for the coming season.
“The VO2 max test is one of the best tests you can do. The players run on a treadmill wearing an oxygen mask and it tests a number of things.
“There will also be tests for lumbar strength, a vertical jump which assesses the power in your legs, ECG for the heart, lung function, nutrition and height, weight and fat tests. We will cover the full spectrum to make sure the lads are fit and healthy.
“These tests are specifically designed to try to get their maximum heart rate. This is something we will use during pre-season to test how hard the lads are working so it’s a bit more scientific.
“I think it’s important. Players always want to know that what they are doing is beneficial for them. Any work you do as a coach, you want to know it’s benefiting them and making them ready for the season.”
Howe worked alongside Dalzell during his time at Portsmouth.
“I enjoyed my first pre-season with him immensely,” said the Cherries boss.
“He is very intelligent and knows exactly what he’s doing. He is probably one of the best in his field and we’re very lucky to have him for pre-season.
“He’s agreed to come in on a voluntary basis and I know the lads will benefit from having him around.
“His role encompasses so many different things. He will be looking at strength, core work and the fitness side of things.
“It should be a very interesting pre-season for us.”
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