The 29-year-old is in the middle of a lengthy rehabilitation from two bouts of surgery on his left foot and new club rehab physiotherapist Richard Wallace has devised a range of cross-training activities to try to help Hargrave back to full fitness.
Hargrave's program has seen him visit to the Earth Sea Sky High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Richmond, where he's been using an anti-gravity treadmill known as the AlterG, an altitude room, ice baths and the sauna.
The AlterG, which the centre claims uses "patented NASA technology" to allow for partial weight bearing, has enabled Hargrave to graduate from water running and build up to distances of 12km.
"You put these bike pants on and they have a zip on them, then you step onto the treadmill and then you pull this frame up around you and zip yourself to the frame," he told afl.com.au.
"It seals all the air and blows up and you can adjust how much weight you want to run at. It takes the pounding and pressure out of your foot."
The experienced backman has been using the system for two weeks and alternates between sessions at the HPTC and running on Whitten Oval.
"Every time you get a new physio they come up with different ideas," Hargrave said.
"He's got a whole heap of new ideas for me and that's keeping things different and interesting.
"It would have been tough doing six months of the same rehab but he's been able to give me a whole new program, and I've got a lot stronger from it."
Hargrave has a break from running every third day to complete boxing, bike, swim and leg weight sessions.
"It's not fun, but it's good," he said.
"It does feel good to run again because it's been so frustrating with all the guys playing games when all you want to do is get out there.
"It drives you a bit and hopefully it means I'm not too far off training."
The foot problem first developed after Hargrave had his ankle reconstructed in late 2006.
He played in pain for the past two years but was troubled by the injury early last season and in October underwent an operation in which surgeons used bone from his hip to fuse a joint along the top of the foot.
This required further reinforcement, with the insertion of a plate just before Christmas.
"I probably should have got it done the year before. If I had known it was going to be as bad as it was last year, I would have got it done," he said.
"Having the second operation was really frustrating but I've come out of it now and I'm starting to run, which is really good.
"It's all going really well and the foot feels really good, so it's all pretty positive."
Ryan Hargrave is a $319,500 defender in the Toyota AFL Dream Team competition
