Train with Ronaldo: what makes up the success of a champion

As an 18-year-old skinny guy, thanks to his undeniable talent in soccer, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Manchester United and immediately received the jersey with number 7, the owners of which before him were the world famous David Beckham and Bryan Robson. Then, in 2003, he realized that he had to live up to the expectations placed on him and work at his best.

After 14 years from that moment, Russian fans were able to see Cristiano at the match against the Russian national team at the Confederations Cup 2017 in Moscow. Now his name is known to everyone in the soccer world and many outside it. In addition, now the striker of the Portuguese national team is the owner of a beautiful relief body, and he is often called the standard.

The footballer gives a variety of training outside the soccer field five days a week, 3-4 hours each time. But it is not limited to this: in addition to practicing numerous sports activities Cristiano observes a diet and reverently refers to the mode of sleep. What to say, discipline in everything!

Most importantly, Ronaldo treats this way of life not as a dry necessity, but as a favorite cause. Perhaps this is a big part of his success. Let’s find out what else a championship consists of.

Intense cardio exercises

No one will be surprised by the fact that Cristiano pays a lot of attention to cardio. According to numerous sources, the level of fat in the body of the footballer is less than 10 percent, which gives his body such relief.

To achieve such a result, cardio exercises like running, brisk walking, cycling or cycling machines are essential to burn body fat and develop the stamina needed on the soccer field.

Exhausting circuit training

Speed, agility and power – that’s what is developed thanks to the plyometric exercises with his own body weight, which Cristiano performs for about one minute each. This method of training is really effective. It gives the so-called explosive power, although in the end it is very exhausting.

The exercises themselves can change every time. Some of the most typical and common are jumping jacks, push-ups with claps or jumping jacks, sprints from a sitting position, single leg squats and others.

According to the program compiled for Ronaldo by the famous fitness trainer Brad Campbell, the footballer performs circular exercises without a break. However, we still do not advise beginners to do so without the supervision of a professional.

Despite the fact that the exercises are performed at a fairly fast pace, you should not allow any haste and bring yourself to global fatigue, a short rest of a minute or two between laps is necessary. The most important thing in the movements is a good technique.

Increasing strength and endurance

More than anyone else, Cristiano boasts powerful muscles in his thighs, back and perfect abs. In this he is helped by strength training with the use of additional weight (dumbbells, barbell), medball, fitball and various sports equipment.

Classes soccer player does not do without everyone’s favorite pull-ups and exercises on the bars, as well as exercises for the front and back muscles of the thighs on a special simulator. As for the abs, Ronaldo says he can do up to three thousand twists a day!

Stretching

In a sport like soccer, you need athletes to work evenly on their speed, endurance and strength as well as stretching. It is needed to achieve muscle flexibility, which in turn reduces the chance of muscle injuries during the game.

Good flexibility and stretching is literally about freedom of movement and plasticity. Without stretching Cristiano would hardly be able to perform some movements in full amplitude, because the muscles would be constrained. It is obvious that in soccer you can’t do without stretching.

In soccer, pre-stretching before a training session or a game is very important in order to warm up your muscles for the long work on the field.

Developing balance and coordination

Without training on coordination and the ability to keep balance is not without the striker of the Portuguese national team. Undoubtedly, a footballer who has easy movements and knows how to control his body plays better than one who only focuses on technique, stamina and strength.

Cristiano usually uses a balance half-sphere in his exercises: on it he tries to keep his balance by standing on one leg in various complicated poses or squatting.

But still it is worth remembering that the path to success and a healthy, beautiful body lies not only through daily training and physical activity. Proper diet and sleeping habits are important components of being a champion. Ronaldo, for example, tries to sleep at least eight hours a day. This is the same norm recommended by doctors for an adult. And as for nutrition, judging by the numerous publications in Instagram, the footballer really does eat healthy food and advises others to do so. Moreover, the photos prove that it is possible to eat right and with taste!