Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous and legendary football players of all time. He started to pursue his football dream at the young age of 17 years old, back in 2002 when he made his first professional debut.
He has summoned huge milestones which include bagging awards like five Ballon d’Or awards, seven league titles, and five UEFA Championship Leagues. Alongside a successful football career, Ronaldo is the face of many brands, actively participating in endorsement deals with the world’s top brands.
There is a huge impact on Ronaldo’s physique and fitness that has helped him a lot in conquering his game. The immense hard work and effort he puts into his fitness is a well-known secret that has helped him throughout the successful years of his football career.
Therefore in this article, we will break for you the entire workout routine that Ronaldo follows to help him remain in his best shape and the diet regimen that keeps Ronaldo healthy and fit. Let’s not fuel your curiosity and see what the secret diet and workout routine that the international football superstar follows!
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Biographical Details
Here are the current biographical stats of Portuguese football player, Cristiano Ronaldo:
| Full name | Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro |
| Birth | February 5, 1985, Funchal, Portugal |
| Age | 38 years old |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 foot 1 inch) |
| Weight | 83 kg (180 lbs) |
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Workout Routine
On a typical day, Ronaldo spends three to four hours a day working out for five days a week. He is walking proof of how one needs to be disciplined to achieve their fitness goals and work towards their aim to achieve their dream physique.
Workout Motivation
If you’re someone who is struggling to find motivation to get started, you might find inspiration from a life event in Ronaldo’s life.
Ronaldo was diagnosed with a rare heart condition at age 15 when he was about to skyrocket his career, characterized by his heart beating fast even during times when he wasn’t involved in strenuous activities.
This could only be solved by performing a heart surgery, which fortunately went successful for him. Later on, Ronaldo was back training to make his football dream come true, in a much better condition, making the rest of history.
While it seems good luck worked for him, he fought against the odds standing in his way to achieve his goal. If you have the “mental strength which is as important as physical strength, there’s nothing that should stop you from reaching your goals.”
Workout Plan
Okay, so now we have a killer mindest ready, but where’s the execution?
Ronaldo follows a workout plan that forms the basis of his training routine. In his workout plan, you will see several components of cardio activities, agility drills, weightlifting, core workouts, and recovery sessions combined together – a mix-up version of Ronaldo’s workout.
- Cardio training: What’s better than activities like running, swimming, and jogging to pump your muscles up? Ronaldo never skips his cardio workout, including an active morning run that serves as a great warmup activity before he starts his conventional workout.
- Strength training: For better muscle activity and strength, his training involves weightlifting, squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. He performs his strength training at a high rep range to build muscle mass efficiently. He couples it with a core workout which includes exercises like plank twists, and leg raises.
- Agility drills: Being a footballer is all about how good your agility is, thus Ronaldo never compromises on performing ladder drills, or cone drills to enhance sudden pitch movement skills.
- Recovery sessions: To perform his best, Ronaldo gives significance to relaxing recovery sessions by going for cryotherapy, massages, and ice compressions. He also emphasizes the importance of a quality sleep of 8 hours each day.
Workout Routine
Now coming toward the million-dollar question, let’s unveil Cristiano Ronaldo’s entire workout routine for five days a week:
Mondays: Strength Training
Ronaldo performs the following circuit thrice:
- Barbell Squats (8 reps)
- Box Jumps (20 inches, 10 reps)
- Broad Jumps (8 reps)
- Jumping Lunges (For each leg, perform 8 reps)
- Lateral Bounds (12 inches, 10 reps)
Tuesdays: Rest Days
On Tuesday, Ronaldo allows his body to rest so his muscles can heal and recover.
Wednesdays: Compound Training
Cristiano performs the following circuit thrice:
- Burpee Pullups (10-15 reps)
- Bench Dips (20 reps)
- Medicine Ball Rotational Throw (15 reps)
- Push Press (10 reps)
- Pushups (20-30 reps)
Thursdays: Cardio Workout
- Power Cleans (5 sets, 5 reps)
- Sprinting 200 meters for 8 sets
Fridays: Core Workout
His core workout includes six exercises as follows:
- Single-Arm Deadlifts (3 sets, 5 reps; for each arm)
- One-Legged Dumbell Deadlifts (2 sets, 10 reps)
- Tuck Jumps (3 sets, 10 to 12 reps)
- Medicine Ball Overhead Slams (3 sets, 10 to 12 reps)
- Single-Legged Barbell Squats (2 sets, 5 reps)
- Hanging Leg Raises (3 sets, 10 to 15 reps)
Saturdays: Rest and Recovery
Saturday is another day of rest for the great footballer.
Sundays: Cardio Workout
- Rope Jumping (10 sets; rest one minute)
- Resisted Sprinting (50 meters; 10 sets)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Diet Routine
Ronaldo knows what it takes to be a legendary athlete and a dedicated footballer. After performing a proper workout routine, all gains depend on the fuel you consume.
Therefore he ensures to pay heed toward eating nutrient-dense and clean foods that serve him in his favor.
He omits to eat sugary foods and consuming alcohol except on very special occasions.
To attain a lean, athletic physique, Ronaldo divides his meals into six meals, with a gap of 2 to 4 hours in between two consecutive meals. Many athletes follow this regimen to keep their metabolism controlled and help manage their appetite.
He takes his protein from natural food sources as well as supplements to boost his protein intake, good for muscle development and recovery.
His supplements include consuming plant-based protein supplements, joint supplements, and multivitamins.
He takes in his complex carbs and eats his veggies responsibly for the detoxification of his body.
Now let’s see what Cristiano Ronaldo eats in a day to fuel his body:
Breakfast
- Whole-grain cereal
- Egg whites
- Fruit juice made of bananas, fresh berries, and other fruits
Lunch
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Grilled chicken
- Veggie salad
- Sweet baked potato
Snack # 1
- Tuna roll
- Protein supplement
Dinner
- Lean cuts of beef or grilled chicken or turkey breasts
- Brown rice
- Pulses and beans
- Fruits
Snack # 2
- Nuts
- Herbal tea
Conclusion
- Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer who is also listed among the richest athletes and celebrities around the world. Ronaldo pursued his dream of playing football at the tender of 17 years old and eventually grew up to become one of the most legendary football players of all time.
- His fans believe him to be G.O.A.T. but it took many years of hard work and effort put together to achieve his dream today. Ronaldo faced poverty at a young age, faced a serious and rare heart condition at an early age but he still managed to spring back much stronger and kickstart his career.
- Ronaldo avoids eating sugary foods that threaten his body’s metabolism and cuts off alcohol consumption to a minimum. He eats fresh fruits and veggies, along with lean protein and complex carbs to fulfill his dietary needs. Ronaldo maintains portion control by eating six smaller meal portions in a day with a gap of 2 to 4 hours between consecutive meals.
- His workout routine on the other hand demands training five days a week in the gym and doing it for 2 to 4 hours on average to maintain his lean, and athletic physique even if he’s not playing. His workout is a mix of cardio exercises, core workouts, agility drills, and strength training.