Skipper Lucas Neill has warned the Socceroos' physical best is still a week and a half away as they focus on peaking for their opening World Cup clash with Germany.

As Australia's players use altitude training to sharpen up ahead of the World Cup, Neill believes there's plenty more improvement to come in the squad as it comes to grips with the physically testing conditions.

Just as before the 2006 campaign, the Socceroos have been worked hard in Johannesburg prior to this World Cup.

But Neill - a veteran of 2006 - believes the players are not yet at the fitness level they were in Germany four years ago.

"We've got another hard week's training yet before we can say that we're match fit, very sharp, coping with the altitude, strong in the legs, strong in the lungs," Neill said.

"We're being pushed very hard but we know we can be pushed more. We want to be pushed more.

"We've got a little bit more to go but we know that and understand that.

"A lot of the boys are almost at their fighting weight. But we know we have 10 or 11 days and I think we'll be exactly where we want to be."

This time, the Socceroos have also had the benefit of cutting edge medical monitoring of their every training pitch move - Neill confident it will help their preparation.

Rather than being blinded by science, he says the players are finding it an eye-opener as the Socceroos' medical staff churn out charts and status checks of their physical wellbeing after every session.

"We see the charts every morning and every night. Heart rates, distances, sprints. It's very scientific and it's great for us as players to know where we are," Neill said.

"They've given us a lot of feedback on where we are with our fitness levels and we seem to be moving in the right direction."

Coach Pim Verbeek believes his side are progressing better than expected in their training sessions, particularly pleased with how quickly they have adapted themselves to the rigours of altitude training at 1700 metres above sea level.

But he admits the plan is ideally for the players to hit their physical peak just before they take the field in Durban against Germany.

"The boys are starting to get used to it (the altitude) ... physically we did a lot of work but we are not there yet," Verbeek said.

"I am very pleased with the week in Melbourne and the week we've had so far over here."

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