HEART OF ST GEORGE? HOW I DID ON THE EQUIPMENT ENGLAND WILL USE

My visit to St George’s Park was more than just a tour – it was a hands on chance to try out the same pieces of equipment Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard et al will be using in a few weeks’ time.

Far from being an elite athlete like them, I content myself with two or three jogs around the park each week and an occasional game of five-a-side with my mates.

So how would I get on when put through my paces?

TEST ONE: THE WATTBIKE

Everyone likes a tootle out on a bike, but there’s suddenly a very different feel when you’re lining up in an interactive 1km race against three fellow journalists.

Strapped in and hunched forward as though bracing for a gale-forced headwind, I make the decision to power off from the starting line, pumping my thighs until I’m topping 900 watts of power.

On the screen in front of us, my virtual bike lurches into a wheel’s lead but I’ve ignored rule number one and gone out far too fast.



On your marks! The contenders line up for the 1km Journo Wattbike race. I'm on the second bike from the left

Power surge: During the kilometre race, the bikes accurately record the amount of power output from our legs. I averaged just over 900 watts

Close run thing: A win for the Mail Online... but only just

Thankfully the early pace means the metres are tumbling down on the display in front of me and despite the pain creeping into my knees, I’m able to cling on and win in a time of 1 minute 18.5 seconds.

It’s no exaggeration to say this will probably be the pinnacle of my sporting life, but I’m soon brought crashing back down to earth by the trainer, who points out that the guys on the Tour de France do that 200 times over every day… for three weeks.

TEST TWO: THE ALTER G TREADMILL

This piece of equipment really is something else. It’s essentially a normal treadmill that’s been ‘pimped’ by NASA boffins.

You slip on a pair of tight neoprene shorts and then are zipped into the airtight ‘tent’ which totally encases the treadmill.

As you step on, the AlterG weighs you and adjusts itself accordingly. As you ramp up the pace, the pressure inside the ‘tent’ can be altered to strip away your body weight in increments up to 80 per cent.



Space age: Working into a light jog on the AlterG Treadmill as my coach adjusts how much of my body weight has been taken away

Treadmill tent: You're zipped in to an inflatable enclosure when running on the AlterG

The idea is that athletes can run long distances without exerting harmful pressure on their knees and ankles. Mo Farah used the technology before the Olympics to build stamina without straining his joints, but its main use would be for recovery from injury.

I’m not going as far as Mo, but feel I could run all day with so much weight taken off my feet.

TEST THREE: BATAK BOARD

You might have seen this on the Jonathan Ross show and while it is a fun game, it’s used here to test the agility and reactions of the players – especially the goalkeepers.

It’s a series of pads mounted on a steel frame – some above your head, some below your waist and some in between – which light up in random sequence. You turn them off with your palm as fast as you can manage.



Lights, camera, action! The BATAK Board tests agility and reflexes

One hit every second: I scored 30 from my 30 second run

I have 30 seconds and record what I thought was a respectable score of 30 – exactly one light switched off a second.

But it’s a long way short of the records set by the Formula One drivers who use the BATAK regularly – Fernando Alonso and Heikki Kovalainen can do 138 in a minute, while the unofficial world record is 155!



TEST FOUR: STRENGTH GYM CIRCUIT

Next, we’re introduced to Grant, whose title of ‘Master Trainer’ suggests what’s about to unfold isn’t going to be easy. ‘You won’t need your notebooks for this one,’ he says.

He’s set up a circuit of eight exercises in the strength and conditioning gym which overlooks the outdoor pitch designed to mimic the precise dimensions of Wembley Stadium.



Heave! Testing our one of Technogym's Kinesis machines in the St George's Park gym

It’s a mix of push-ups, pull-downs, medicine ball throwing, squat thrusts and pretend kayaking in intense 30 second blocks, a guaranteed way to shock your muscles into action.

We’re all struggling to get our breath after just four minutes of rapid-fire exercise, but the England players will do hour after hour on these shiny new machines.



TEST FIVE: FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT EXAM

This is a series of seven apparently straightforward tests to measure our susceptibility to injury – and it’s harder than it seems.

The trainer awards three points for perfect posture and form, two if there’s a few wobbles and one if you’re utterly hopeless and can’t do the exercise at all.

There’s a squat balancing a metre-long ruler above your head, a step over a piece of string, a plank and an elbow to knee stretch while balancing on your other arm.

It also shows how balanced you are and it’s soon apparent that I’m not as symmetrical as I thought. I score 16 out of 21 which is respectable but doesn’t make me immune from knocks and niggles.

TEST SIX: HYDROTHERAPY

By the afternoon, we’ve moved from strength and fitness to rehab and recovery, with a visit to the calmer surroundings of the hydrotherapy pools.

We start with a few mobility exercises in the Variopool, which has a movable floor that can be adjusted to any depth. The exercises loosen and soothe the joints and no doubt the England players will be straight in here after a tough morning’s training.

But not before they’ve had a dip in the adjacent ice pool. We take it in turns to totter through the icy water as quickly as our legs can carry us. It’s actually very refreshing and no doubt does wonders for our muscles, but hopping into the hot tub is a relief afterwards.

Chilly: The journalists brave the ice bath in the Hydrotherapy suite, while luckier ones get to relax in the jacuzzi

Weird feeling: Time for a jog on the underwater treadmill

Monitored: The coaches can check stride and posture with the aid of the treadmill's underwater cameras

The underwater treadmill is a treat at the other end of the room. You stand on the platform and are lowered into the water, before the band starts turning and you’re running at a light jog.

Obviously the resistance of the water makes it a hugely beneficial experience and large television monitors in front of you allow views of your stride from under the water. I'm sure they can pick up Sky Sports News as well.

TEST SEVEN: FOOTBALL TRAINING

Our day ends with a chance to try out the luscious Astroturf surface we’ve been given tantalising glimpses of all afternoon.

A couple of FA coaches oversee the kick around, with their emphasis on trying to change the mentality of Saturday and Sunday morning coaches all over the country.

It’s certainly true that if you give a group of Spanish, Italian or Brazilian lads a ball on the beach and they’ll caress it, pass it amongst themselves and try to outdo each other with skills and tricks.

English lads in the same situation would have divided themselves into teams on a pitch with towels for goalposts as quickly as the next wave comes in.

Dome of dreams: The indoor Astroturf football pitch certainly looks impressive

Tag! The journalists take part in a warm-up exercise on the indoor football pitch

The FA is desperate to get kids away from never-ending game scenarios and into drills designed to improve their technique – so the next generation can address the gaping technical deficiencies of English teams.

We were shown a few drills but then the pressure to get into a bit of five-a-side became too much. We played initially in three zones, with the focus on two-on-one or two-on-two contests, before opening up into a more traditional knock-about.