Whether it’s closing in on 1,000 career goals or playing football at the top level for more than two decades, Cristiano Ronaldo has long defied his age.
And now, the 41-year-old Portugal legend has perhaps shown why he has been able to perform at the top for so long – with an image of his ripped physique.
Posting to his 671 million Instagram followers, Ronaldo captained the snap: ‘Longevity and high performance don’t happen by chance. They’re built through daily, practical recovery.
‘It’s not a secret. It’s a routine.’
Holding what appears to be a massage gun from his recovery brand AVACR7, the Al-Nassr forward posed in a pair of his branded black boxer shorts with his abs firmly on display.
Ronaldo is known to work out for up to four hours and eat six high-protein ‘mini meals’ every day in a bid to keep himself in tip-top shape, before using saunas and ice baths to aid his recovery.
He shared an image of himself looking ripped after one sauna session late last year, which amassed more than 22 million likes on the social media platform.
The latest measurement of his body fat states that his sits at an astonishing seven per cent. Premier League stars are only expected to maintain levels between eight and 12 per cent.
In addition to training with his club, Ronaldo, who will marry his partner Georgina Rodriguez next summer, supplements his training sessions with a personal workout plan.
He swears by Pilates, regular swims and five trips to the gym a week. These include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprinting and targeted weights to increase muscle strength.
And, rather than sticking to the traditional three-meal structure of breakfast, lunch and dinner, Ronaldo adds brunch, a snack and supper to his refuelling schedule.
He loves avocado, fresh fish and generally sticks to high-protein, low-fat foods like chicken. Salad, whole grains like quinoa, and fresh fruit are also piled onto his plate every day.
Fellow Portuguese players have said their captain’s favourite meal is Bacalhau a Bras, a traditional dish combining scrambled eggs, fried potatoes and salted cod.
The former Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus legend is helped to his luxury lifestyle as he pockets a jaw-dropping £488,000-a-day in Saudi Arabia.
However, Ronaldo recently found himself at the centre of controversy in the Gulf state after a high-profile strike for three games, believed to have been in frustration at a perceived lack of transfer backing for Al-Nassr from PIF compared to their rivals.
It led to serious questions over his future in the league, but the veteran forward appeared to quash such concerns on his return to the side at the weekend.
‘I’m very happy. As I say so many times, I belong to Saudi Arabia,’ he said.
‘It’s a country that welcomed me, my family and my friends very well. I’m happy here. I want to continue here.
‘And the most important thing, it’s we keep pushing. We are there at the top.
‘Our job is to win, make pressure [on our title rivals], and let’s see. We are on track.
‘We’re back, we are good, we are confident. Game by game. We are in good shape. Let’s see what’s going to happen.’
