Doha, Qatar: As Cristiano Ronaldo prepares to lead Al Nassr against Qatar’s Al Duhail in Tuesday’s AFC Champions League return game, we shed light on how his extraordinary physical condition at the age of 38 underscores the influence he wields over teammates.
The Portuguese superstar is the most recognized celebrity on social media, celebrated not only for his football skills but also for his exceptional physique.
Ronaldo, standing 187 cm tall, weighing around 72 kg with a body fat percentage of 7% and a muscle mass constituting half his weight, sets a high bar.
Dedication to training
Ronaldo’s former Manchester United teammate, Patrice Evra, attested to his diligence, saying: “He would be there two hours before training. After it ended, he would stay back to practice more.”
His regimen includes high-intensity, football-specific drills and a gym routine that balances cardio with weights. “Mix it up” Ronaldo suggests, emphasizing the importance of a varied workout.
“We do a lot of sprinting drills in training and they can be incorporated into your workout whether you are in the gym or outdoors,” Ronaldo says.
Moreover, Ronaldo integrates workouts into his daily life, not just at the gym. “You can do an abs workout in your bedroom,” he shares, stressing the power of habit.
Nutrition is key
Exercise alone isn’t the key to achieving such a physique; diet plays an equally important role.
“A good workout must be combined with a good diet,” Ronaldo stated.
Al Nassr’s nutritionist, Jose Blesa, revealed Ronaldo’s diet plan, clarifying that “Cristiano follows the Mediterranean diet, Ronaldo’s breakfast contains a large amount of proteins, such as, cheese and low-fat yogurt.”
“At lunch, Cristiano does not dispense with white meat, and always gives priority to chicken and fish, which is mostly repeated over dinner, there is another meal that is always on Cristiano’s table, which is a dish of tuna, olives and eggs [known as Tuna “à Brás” in Portugal] always accompanied by a good salad, such as tomatoes, and at the time of snacks, Ronaldo likes to eat dried fruits rich in fiber that regulate the absorption of sugar, or avocado rich in vitamins A and C,” he added.
Blesa stressed that “Cristiano does not eat any kind of sweets, fried foods or fatty foods, and all his meals are accompanied by water.”
Ronaldo’s dedication to healthy eating extends beyond his own diet; he also enforces it within his family. Speaking at the Globe Soccer Awards gala in Qatar in 2020, Ronaldo highlighted his strict approach, particularly with his son. ‘I am hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I am unsatisfied with him.”
“I tell him that after working hard he must rest in cold water and he doesn’t like it. It is normal, he is 10 years old”, he added.
The football star also mentioned his younger children’s dietary habits, sharing that “it is the same with my younger children. When they eat chocolate, they look at me first because they know I don’t like it.”
Ronaldo’s effect
Blesa praises Ronaldo’s positive impact at Al Nassr.
Since his arrival, players have upped their fitness routines and diets.
“Players improve their body composition by almost 90 percent,” he notes, attributing this transformation to Ronaldo’s exemplary discipline.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in history, there is a school for those around him, the rest of the players do what he does because everything he does is great to improve performance,” he concluded.
