The athlete starts with a warm-up to decrease the risk of injury. “In training we do a few laps of the pitch, stretching, and cardio warm-up exercises,” Ronaldo explains.
“Make sure you do something similar in your training, even if it is jogging to the gym or a warm-up on the treadmill or bicycle.”
At the gym, Ronaldo’s main workout consists of cardiovascular workouts – like running and rowing – and weights. “Go through it all,” advises Ronaldo – in addition to maintaining interest, it is important that all areas of the body are targeted and the exercises improve both strength and endurance.
On the court, the focus is on high-intensity exercises that reflect game situations. “We do a lot of sprint exercises in training and they can be incorporated into your training, whether you are in the gym or outside,” says Ronaldo. “Try adding it to every workout you do.”
Workouts are not restricted to the time Ronaldo spent at training facilities, though. “Fit in exercise wherever you can,” he adds.
“You can do an abs workout in your bedroom in the morning after you wake up or before you go to bed.”
Pre-season workouts
“During pre-season, when we’re all returning from time off, our work tends to be intense. We may have more than one training session in a single day, plus strength and conditioning workouts,” explains the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Gym
“Mix it up,” says Cristiano Ronaldo. In the gym, Ronaldo alternates between heavy cardio and extensive weight training activities.
Ronaldo’s daily workout schedule is as follows:
- Daily practice for 3-4 hours assuring a low-fat level (less than 10 percent)
- Cardio exercises including several running sessions, each lasting for 25-30 minutes.
- Short-period exercises such as high intensity sprinting drills.
- Technical drills for improving ball control
A sample week:
- Monday: Cardio circut featuring squats, jumps and lunges
- Tuesday: Rest day
- Wednesday: Weights and cardio featuring bodyweight movements such as pushups and pull-ups
- Thursday: Power cleans and sprints
- Friday: Leg day with a focus on stability and abs
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Cardio featuring sprints and skipping
Cristiano Ronaldo sample workout
This workout combines strength training (consisting of 5 supersets and a total of 10 different exercises) with a cardio-heavy HIIT session.
Superset 1: bench press (3 sets of 12) and squats (3 sets of 12).
Superset 2: incline bench press (3 sets of 12) and barbell walking lunges (3 sets of 12),
Superset 3: dumbbell chest flys (3 sets of 12) and cable pushdowns (3 sets of 12)
Superset 4: leg extensions (3 sets of 12) and hamstring curls (3 sets of 12).
Superset 5: roped cable crunches (3 sets of 12) and knee raises (3 sets of 15)
Hydrotherapy
Ronaldo hits the pool regularly and engages in hydrotherapy, according to the Daily Mail. Cristiano reportedly swims at home, following games or with his son Cristiano Jnr, before working on hot-cold contrast hydrotherapy.
The theory behind contrast water therapy is that the hot baths encourage blood flow through the body, called vasodilation, and to the limbs, while the cold water then narrows the blood vessels and sends the blood back to the core. Athletes promote muscle regeneration through blood circulation with the contrast method.
Given Ronaldo’s ability and fitness on land, it’s surprising that his engine is built in the water. However, the benefits of swimming and hydrotherapy are extremely transferrable to all sports and explain Ronaldo’s excellent injury-free health. The low-impact, full-body cardiovascular exercise builds lean muscles, increases aerobic capacity, and can be done anytime if you’re lucky enough to have easy access to a pool.
Cristiano Ronaldo sample hydrotherapy workout
400 metre warm up, mixing up your strokes
10 x 50 metres with 30 seconds rest between each effort at 75% effort
4 x laps of breath work, breathing every 3 strokes, then 5, then 7, then 9. Repeat this pattern for the 4 laps
5 sets:
1 x lap sprint
3 x laps recovery directly following the sprint
Cool down with 100m, alternating laps with backstroke and freestyle
Post-match rituals
Much has been written about Ronaldo’s incredible post-game rituals. The 36-year-old has a strong focus on his physical and mental wellbeing, with a particular focus on recovery – something he believes is key to maintaining excellence and extending his prime.
“It’s persistence and hard work using all the ingredients I have at my disposal, such as Theragun, for example, that keep my body in top shape,” he explains to us via email. “It’s important to work hard and have a good rest at the same time. Not just the day after a game, but in the weeks, months and years after that.”
Longevity is most important, and as you can see, my longevity is great. I’m 36 years old and I can still measure myself against the best players and still keep the form I was in when I was 20. It’s not easy, but consistency leads to perfection. “
Perfection is exactly right – the five-time Ballon d’Or has scored 22 goals in 27 games, he’s reported to have 7% of body fat, an astounding 50% muscle mass, and ultimately a physique that literally is comparable to a 20-year old.
Recovery
Ronaldo has also been reported to incorporate up to five small 90-minute breaks into his daily routine to help him stay energetic and rested.
“In football there are fundamental points – from good training to the right food to the right drinking and so on – but relaxation is the most important thing for me and from my point of view,” says Ronaldo.