A combination of swimming lengths and games of water polo, very competitive as you'd expect, have kick started training on most days.
It's far from being a gimmick, however. There is a genuine scientific benefit behind the change of routine as Anson explained:
"It's all to do with build up of lactate. You can do a 40 minutes strength and endurance session in the gym and build up a significant amount of lactate. But you can achieve the same, unloaded, in a 30 minute session in the water.
"You also build up lung capacity with the underwater swimming we do and there's also a recovery element. We're training hard in preseason and, whether we swim or play water polo, there's a recovery benefit in the water especially as you get deeper in the water where the pressure is higher.
"If the players can learn to deal with lactate and use it as a source of energy, then they'll become better athletes on the pitch. Swimming isn't the be all and end all, but it is another dimension we can use."
Anson admits he has used swimming as a preseason feature before but that Gloucester's relationship with the Lido promises to be a particularly beneficial one.
"I've used this for around four seasons now, mainly for the recovery element, and it's another way of the players doing something competitive and beneficial without loading and stressing the body.
"We've got a great 50 metre pool here which is better than anything I've used in the past. This is a really tough environment for the players.
"We've got a great arrangement with the Lido where we can use the facility when the public aren't in. We'll do recovery and rehab sessions here up until October when the Lido shuts down for winter at which point we'll relocate to the Riverside.
"It's 40 minutes of either swimming or treading water and there are no real rest times, only getting in and out of the water, so it's a pretty taxing session."
Julie Sargent from the Sandford Parks Lido, admitted that she and her staff have been delighted to see the squad use the facilities and that the benefits are visible even at this early stage.
"We've had a number of members of the squad come down and use the facilities in the past, whether they've been training on their own or have just come down with their families.
"But this is the first time that they've come down as a squad and it's been brilliant, we've loved having them here and hope that it helps towards them being fit and ready for the forthcoming season.
"They're a bit different from our normal clientele. Having thirty odd big rugby players coming in is quite a sight and we've had to make sure we've got extra lifeguards on just in case we need to drag one of them out!
"It's like an outdoor gym really. They can put in a lot of hard work in the water without running the risk of an impact injury. The water is lovely and warm and the surroundings are beautiful as well.
"I can tell that they're working hard in their other sessions because they look as though their muscles are a little bit stiff when they come in first thing in the morning.
"But they're able to stretch their muscles in the water without the risk of impact and they leave us looking nice and loose. It seems to work very well for them."
