It's something that personal fitness 'gurus' on Instagram and Facebook swear by, and sure enough Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino lives by as well.
It's clear that Spurs are one of the fittest teams in the Premier League this season, with Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores even describing them as animals in terms of their ferocity in recovering the ball:
We know perfectly what we want to do when we [recover] the ball, we try to play, but it was impossible. It was impossible because they are like animals there, trying to beat and [recover] the ball as quick as possible.
You need high velocity in thinking and playing, and it was impossible today.
This new found fitness has seen Spurs stay in games that they would historically struggle in, and is a big part of the club's current position of second in the league, but what's the secret?
Welsh fullback Ben Davies was recently talking to Miguel Delaney for Independent.co.uk, and he explained that Pochettino does make the Spurs give a lot more than they are used to in their sessions, but they are also reguarly tested on their body fat percentage, and if someone's numbers are higher than they should be then they are made to change their diet:
We have body fat tests regularly, every two weeks. We used to have it at Swansea, but not as often and probably not as strictly enforced. It’s obviously something we have to keep an eye on and, if we’re not at the required levels, you have to work on your diet. I think every manager has got to have that strictness about them, but you know, he’s got every player’s respect here and everyone’s bought into exactly what he wants.
That is strict. We can think of a number of former Spurs players who would have a major problem with that idea, Mido and Tom Huddlestone in particular spring to mind.
Still, it's clearly working for Spurs, and while Davies explained that the sessions and dieting is certainly tough, it's all worth it when your team are right in the title race at this stage of the season.
