Hull City boss Phil Brown has warned his players they're "lifting the bar" in terms of fitness standards this preseason.

Brown, who tested his players' fitness levels today, is determined to have his squad in peak physical condition for the start of the season and hopes they can build on the successful methods of last year.

He told the Tigers website: "I think the fact we're doing the same sort of thing on the first day of this pre-season as the last signals the positive impact it has. In terms of what worked last season, if it isn't broken don't try and fix it.

"But we do have to raise the bar and I'm hoping the results from today and tomorrow will come back positive.

"They should do because we've only had four or five weeks' break whereas we'd had nine weeks when we came back last year.

"That means there has been less time for players to put any extra pounds on, there's less chance of players getting out of condition and there's also less chance for the players to get bored. They're like me, desperate to get back into things.

"We're here to raise the bar in terms of fitness levels and in terms of the standard of football we play."