Turning 41 would typically signal a winding down for most athletes, but not for Cristiano Ronaldo. This Portuguese football icon is a remarkable example of athletic longevity, fueled by an unwavering commitment to training, nutrition, and recovery. As he approaches 1,000 career goals, let’s explore his enduring principles for maintaining peak performance.
Ronaldo’s dedication to fitness is not just about hard work; it’s a meticulously crafted routine that combines various aspects of physical conditioning. Below are some key tenets of his approach.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Training Routine
Data from Whoop in May 2025 indicated that Ronaldo’s biological age was just 28.9, emphasizing his elite physical condition. Despite being an established star at Al-Nassr, he maintains a rigorous exercise regimen, walking an average of 17,000 steps daily and keeping a resting heart rate of 44 beats per minute. He also prioritizes quality sleep, averaging over seven hours per night.
Even off the pitch, training remains a priority. Ronaldo has a home gym where he often includes exercises like leg extensions, hamstring curls, and various cable resistance exercises to enhance strength in critical areas such as the hips, abductors, and glutes.
Additionally, his impressive vertical leap rivals that of many professional basketball players, thanks to a focus on plyometric exercises that build explosive power.
Why Recovery Matters Most
Ronaldo equally values recovery, committing as much time to it as to training. ‘Recovery is vital for performance,’ he asserts. It includes various techniques such as cryotherapy, compression therapy, sauna sessions, stretching, and ice baths to prepare his body for rigorous competitions. ‘I try to use the ice bath as frequently as possible to reset and recover my body for each game,’ he mentioned on Instagram.
Keeping on Top of His Nutrition
When it comes to nutrition, Ronaldo sees food as fuel rather than a source of pleasure. He prioritizes protein-rich meals, along with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to support his training and recovery.
He emphasizes the importance of regular meals, suggesting that, ‘If you train regularly, it’s crucial to keep energy levels high.’ Sometimes, he opts for up to six smaller meals per day to ensure he has sufficient energy to perform at his best during every session.
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Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
