Backroom Boys is the feature on Wolves' official website which looks at life behind the scenes at Molineux. In the latest edition, fitness coach Tony Daley explains how the new January signings are quickly integrated into the club's fitness programme.
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When any new player comes in it's always important for us to work out what their levels of fitness are.
You can tell from looking at Geoffrey and Adlene that they are both physically and aesthetically fit lads but it's also very important we carry out various tests to see physiologically if there is anything we can improve.
A lot of the tests conducted are part of the stringent medical examinations carried out on any potential signings including isokinetic tests for leg strength for example.
It's important for us as sport scientists, coaches and for the manager to see if there are any slight deficiencies which can be improved in the gym with for example, some lower body strength work.
There might be a player who is particularly weak in the hamstring area who might just need to do a particular set of exercises once or twice a week just to improve it and prevent major problems.
A test is also taken for body composition - what people generally call body fat tests - to see not only body fat levels but levels of muscle mass.
They then go on to our Sports Science lab for fitness tests including the V02 max test which looks at their endurance levels to see if they are up to scratch compared to the rest of the squad and their playing position.
From the same test we can also look at their lactate profile, from which we can predict how well they can recover from repeated bouts of high intensity running.
From the tests we also get their heart rate data and know the heart rate ranges required when conducting fitness assessments.
This allows us to know at an individual level what intensities they are working at whilst training.
There are other tests which the squad carry out as part of their fitness protocol - sprint and agility tests - which will be conducted towards the end of the season.
But from the ones carried out we can pick up extensive information and that's important for players coming in at this part of the campaign.
And there are always things we can work on, such as for example if their whole body strength is good they may need to work on different physiological aspects such as their endurance.
The tests give me and the manager an indication of where they are and in terms of their fitness and also how they compare to the players already here.
And as the players settle in, it's then a case of getting used to the training loads which I've mentioned in the programme notes before and the ratings system we use whereby the players themselves assess just how hard they've found a particular session.
There are also hydration tests carried out via urine samples to check the hydration levels on a regular basis.
It all sounds very extensive but to be honest it's part and parcel of life here - everybody does it and it just becomes part of the routine.
It becomes normal to the players, there are no surprises, and while the information helps us in terms of fitness and training the players also know the main priority is that it's all designed to help them.
Both Geoffrey and Adlene have been great in terms of settling in and haven't found any problems with the testing.
They are both good pros, and their fitness levels are already very good as we have established from the training sessions.
It's important because they've been brought in at a time when they are looking to make an impact straightaway.
It's different in pre-season when they can usually go away with the team or play a few friendlies and get to know their team-mates when they are with them 24-7.
These players have had to come in and hit the ground running and as a result we try and get them adapted quickly but sensibly to the rigours of Premier League football.
