Arsenal's stars have been getting into the swing of pre-season training with a bizarre medicine ball workout.

With Arsene Wenger desperate to guide his men back into the Premier League's top four, pre-season for the north Londoners has begun in intense fashion.

Mesut Ozil, Petr Cech, Theo Walcott and others who did not feature for their countries in June and July have returned to London Colney ahead of the 2017-18 season.

The likes of Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all been granted extra leave.

The German international throws the ball at the target (
Image:
Arsenal FC/Getty Images)

Arsenal's stars were snapped inside the training centre throwing medicine balls at targets on the wall.

The exercise is intended to increase explosive power and upper body strength.

An ideal goalkeeping exercise: Petr Cech is put through his paces (
Image:
Arsenal FC/Getty Images)

Arsenal head to Australia for the first stage of their pre-season where they will face Sydney FC on July 13.

Wenger's men then fly out to China where they will play Bayern Munich in Shanghai and Chelsea in Beijing.

Emiliano Martinez works hard ahead of the new season (
Image:
Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

The Gunners will then return to London where they will face Benfica and Sevilla in the annual Emirates Cup.

On Thursday it was confirmed that Arsenal would kick off the 2017-18 campaign against Leicester on Friday 11 August.

Prior to this, though, Arsenal will return to Wembley following their FA Cup triumph to take on Chelsea in the Community Shield.

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