Some guys just have it all. While there’s certainly a case to be made to suggest nobody can be perfect, we’d like to see someone try and fault Portuguese footballing legend
Cristiano Ronaldo in any way. Ok: maybe his taste in watches won’t be to everyone’s liking. But save from a few ostentatious timepieces, there isn’t really anything wrong with the man.
Not only does he have some of the best footballing feet to have ever graced a pitch, but Ronaldo is also living proof that you really can get yourself ripped if you commit to a rigorous training regime – no steroids required. These days, we naturally think of him sporting washboards abs and some killer legs, but he wasn’t always this way.
A recent post by Instagram account @bonkfootball shows just how much his body has transformed during his playing career, comparing his body way back in 2003 with his current state in 2021. A skinny teenager in 2003, the year in which he joined Manchester United at age 18 – along with questionable highlights in his hair and before he had the money to go and visit some of the best dentists – Ronaldo displayed barely any muscle.
Other footballers who have undergone similar transformations during their playing careers include Sergio Ramos, Mohamed Salah and certified unit, Adama Traoré.
However, clearly understanding that if he was going to live up to the hype surrounding him and become one of the greatest players to have ever played the beautiful game, Ronaldo had to improve his strength, agility and stamina. Through a series of intense workouts, he’s done just that.
We’ve previously looked at Ronaldo’s various workouts in detail, and he’s proven time and time again that you really should never skip leg day. In order to build up the size and strength of his legs, he uses various equipment such as exercise bikes, dumbbells for lunges, leg extensions using a dedicated machine and hill sprints – great for improving explosive power, too.
Those washboard abs don’t just form themselves, either, and Ronaldo is a particular fan of performing crunches – although of course, as we’ve mentioned before, it’s no good increasing the size of your abs if you don’t shed belly fat to help display them.
Say what you will about his inscrutable on-pitch demeanour – Ronaldo is an incredibly talented man and someone who is dedicated to the cause. If nothing else, he should be seen as an inspirational figure when it comes to getting yourself jacked.
Check out some of Cristiano Ronaldo’s most brutal workouts in the video below
More often that not, it will be psychological barriers keeping you from making gains, but as we recently saw from one German bodybuilder, if you overcome that mental state you can get yourself huge.