Cristiano Ronaldo – His Tips

We all have heroes and idols. Somebody that you look up to and aspire to be like. For a lot of people it might be an older sibling, a parent or even a close friend. Rightly or wrongly, celebrities have also adopted become role models over the years for a lot of us. So when it comes to athleticism, who is it that people want to be like?

If you start to bullet point a few names it won’t be long until you stumble across Cristiano Ronaldo, I guarantee it. Since we all saw that famous celebration resembling a body-builder’s stance after scoring in last year’s Champions League Final, Ronaldo’s reputation in the world of fitness has grown and grown. Let’s be honest, it wasn’t like he was going unnoticed before that anyway!

Naturally people from across the globe want to try and emulate his fitness achievements, even if they cannot replicate his footballing ones. Well to accompany his famous underwear brand, Ronaldo has revealed a list of tips that people should follow if they want to become like him. I half expected there to be a special ingredient or a secret recipe, but no. Let’s take a look at what he recommends:

1. Mental strength – Getting your body in perfect shape starts with getting your mind in shape first. He makes a valid point. You need to be in the right place mentally to get the most out of everything that you do.
2. Discipline/motivation – Sticking to a routine is crucial and you need to find a way to stay motivated. Not the most specific tip you will ever come across but an important point nonetheless.
3. Goal setting – You need to set yourself achievable goals that keep you on the right track. An undisputed entry to the list here that just had to appear somewhere.
4. Training partner – Working alongside someone else provides the competition required to push you. Now I’m not sure to what extent I agree with him here. It is something I have discussed before and while healthy for some, this competition can serve to discourage others.
5. Sleep – Simple, early to bed and early to rise. Training generally focuses on exercise and nutrition, which means sleep can sometimes be overlooked. Not by Cristiano Ronaldo though as he rightly points out the need for good quality rest.
6. Warming up – This is so important if for nothing else apart from injury prevention, while also serving as a good way to incorporate cardio. Again it might seem a little bit obvious but like I said, there isn’t a secret recipe here.
7. Mix it up – Variation in any routine is essential to keep it interesting and prevent boredom setting in.
8. HIIT – As you might well expect, Cristiano Ronaldo emphasises the need for a high level of intensity in everything that you do in the gym. Yet again it appears he has hit the nail on the head, not doing too bad here.
9. Cardio – A point that I have also stressed a number of times is reiterated by Ronaldo. Do not neglect cardio and for a footballer this is especially important. And if that Champions League Final photo proves anything it is that he certainly practices what he preaches.
10. Fit in what you can – At home, at work, wherever! If you can get in an extra bit of needed work, do whatever you can wherever you are.
11. Diet – High protein, plenty of whole foods and lots of fruits and vegetables. Oh, and don’t forget to avoid sugary foods.
12. Water – Make sure you keep hydrated and try to avoid alcohol if you can.
13. Eat small meals regularly – Ronaldo claims to eat around 6 meals a day in small/medium quantities.
14. Music – Like having a training partner this is something I found split opinion. Some say it serves as a distraction, others see it as great motivation.
15. Relax – Use your free time as wisely as your training time. A sentimental touch here, as Cristiano Ronaldo stresses the importance of spending that time with loved ones.

So there you go, Cristiano Ronaldo’s secrets finally revealed. Don’t be surprised to have heard all of them before. A couple of points may have needed further discussion but other than that I would say he has done an good job. After all, the results seem to be fairly decent.