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Cristiano Ronaldo Is A Physically And Mentally One Of Kind Athlete

Cristiano Ronaldo Is A Physically And Mentally One Of Kind Athlete

Ronaldo is in absolutely incredible physical condition...

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Cristiano Ronaldo is celebrating his 35th birthday but you wouldn't know it going off his performances on the pitch and the incredible shape he is in.

The five-time Ballon d'Or has scored 22 goals in 27 games in all competitions for the Bianconeri this term and a key reason for his longevity is of course his dedication to training and obsession with perfection.

When he made the £99 million switch to Juventus in the summer of 201, medical examinations uncovered that he had 7% of body fat, an astounding 50% muscle mass and ultimately a physique that was comparable to a 20-year old.

Put it simply, Ronaldo is a one of a kind athlete.

During a series of biomechanic tests on the forward at the University of Chichester in 2011, with the whole thing captured in the in-depth Cristiano Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit' documentary - it emerged that Ronaldo is able to jump higher than an average NBA player.

Able to generate 5G of G-force on take-off and helped by his a thigh circumference of 62cm, he can reach heights of 44 cm from a standing start and 78 cm when he has a run-up - 7cm more than the average basketballer. It's no surprise that he continues to score the most insane leaping headers.

The fastest player in the 2018 World Cup, during a game against Napoli this season Ronaldo sprinted 92 metres from one box to the other at 33.12 km/h inside 10 seconds as Juventus turned defence into attack in rapid fashion.

And switching gears to the psychological side of the game, a study last year found that Ronaldo is "immune to pressure" and his performance levels remain the same in 'every scenario possible'.

In the nicest way possible, Ronaldo an absolute freak both mentally and physically. But just how does he maintain peak physical condition?

A couple of months back Joaquín Maroto from AS revealed all the information as to what the five-time Ballon d'Or winner does on a daily basis to stay on top of his game.

Ronaldo allocates time for training, rest and relaxation every day and it's common knowledge that his exercise is not merely restricted to sessions with Juventus and Portugal.

CR7 has his own programme that comprises of five gym sessions a week, with pilates and swimming also part of his regime.

And these are anything but warm down sessions for the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star, as often his personal trainers have to step in and stop him overtraining such is his dedication and desire to be the best.

Back when he was a young kid making waves at Sporting CP, first-teamers had to warn him about beasting himself too much.

Spanish forward Tonito told Gazzetta dello Sport: "During training, he'd turn heads among the veterans, and I'd say to him: 'Steady, don't overdo it...'

"I would also give him lifts [to and from training]. But I'd have to wait an hour at the training ground, because he never wanted to leave.

"I'd bang on the window of the gym and say: 'Come on, Cris, it's time to stop - it's getting late!"

Furthermore, Ronaldo's diet sees him have six different meals per day - typically pasta and chicken for his protein and carbohydrate fix - and none of them are ever cooked with salt.

Cheat meals are a rarity for Ronaldo but eating pizza with his son is his guilty pleasure, as he revealed in an interview with YouTuber ChrisMD.

"The key is to take care of your body, train, do your recovery and eat properly," Ronaldo said.

"Although sometimes I do eat pizza with my son otherwise it would be boring."

Image: Instagram/@Cristiano
Image: Instagram/@Cristiano

Ronaldo will allow himself to have orange or pineapple juice at breakfast in the morning but other than he only drinks water, while he places a great focus on getting eight hours sleep every night.

What's more, he always has a siesta - a short nap in the afternoon - after his fourth meal of the day.

In the past, Ronaldo has talked about having the potential to play beyond 40 years of age and given all the evidence on the table, who are we to ridicule his claim?

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Topics: Football News, Football, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid