Even though he is 38 years old, has won the Ballon d’Or five times and scored 873 goals in his career, Cristiano Ronaldo still shows no signs of slowing down.
A few days ago, the Portuguese superstar showed off his incredible muscles in the gym during the Saudi Pro League’s mid-season break.
Al Nassr will not play again in the AFC Champions League until February 14, but that is not the reason Ronaldo allowed himself to rest.
Ronaldo will turn 39 on February 5 but still maintains impressive performance on the field. The Portuguese striker closed 2023 with 54 goals in all competitions, thereby becoming the player with the most goals in a year.
This is the fifth time Ronaldo has won this award after 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015 while playing for Real Madrid.
Although Ronaldo has always been considered one of the strongest players in the world over the past decade, this is not always true for players born in 1985.
At the time of his debut for Sporting Lisbon at the age of 17, Ronaldo was just a tall but skinny teenager, looking very different from today.
After that, Ronaldo came to MU and performed excellent performance at the Manchester team. But also in the Red Devils’ shirt, Ronaldo realized he had to strengthen his physical strength to meet the physical style of English football.
This 38-year-old player began to pay attention to adding muscle to his upper body while still ensuring his body was compact enough to maintain speed and duels with opposing defenders.
Under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo had 6 wonderful seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 118 goals in 292 matches. The Portuguese player also became the first MU star to win the Golden Ball since George Best in 1968.
As training technology and nutritional science advance, Ronaldo seizes opportunities to optimize his body and performance.
After moving to Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo continued to practice intensive physical training under the guidance of top personal trainers.
Ronaldo’s physical strength and body are so impressive that the Portuguese star contributed to changing the way of looking at football players as well as the ideal body shape in football.
Ronaldo’s team always has at least one nutritionist, one doctor, one physio and one personal chef to provide the best conditions for Ronaldo in training, rest and nutrition.
One of the iconic moments in Ronaldo’s career was when he celebrated his victory over Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final.
After scoring Real Madrid’s fourth goal, Ronaldo took off his shirt and tensed up in excitement. Fans around the world are stunned by Ronaldo’s statuesque body. That was the time when Ronaldo became a symbol of the footballer’s body.
Along with his gym routine, Ronaldo appreciates the importance of a moderate diet and lifestyle.
“I have a healthy diet and avoid harmful things like alcohol, beer, sugary soft drinks and processed foods,” Ronaldo shared on Fourfourtwo in 2015.
‘Sleeping properly is really important. It helps optimize training and competition performance. I usually go to bed early and wake up early, especially before matches. Sleep helps my muscles recover, which is really important.”
“Exercise and hitting the gym are important, but maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle will help you become the best you can be, both physically and mentally. I spend my free time with family and friends, which helps me relax and think positively.”
With Ronaldo’s training regime and persistent performance on the field, many experts and coaches including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer support Ronaldo to continue playing until the age of 40.
The Al Nassr striker is currently leading the scoring list in the Saudi Pro League this season with 20 goals and 9 assists in 18 matches.
