There's a reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained such a high level of performance down the years.
Don't get me wrong, the five-time Balon d'Or winner isn't getting any younger but the Juventus forward isn't slowing down in his quest to become the greatest.
His incredible drive and ambition to be the ultimate player is beyond admirable.
To put his dedication into perspective, Ronaldo's ex-fitness coach Giovanni Mauri has given an insight into how Cristiano's mind works. Did you say 2 a.m gym sessions after a long away day in the Champions League? No problem.
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"Cristiano is a phenomenon and an elite level athlete," Mauri explained to Tuttosport.
"He always trains to the best possible level because his way of working is comprised of three things: dedication, competitiveness and a positive attitude.
"We are talking about a world class player who, when we returned home at 2am from a Champions League away match, would not jet off home in his car.
"No, he would stop at the training centre for at least an hour for various recovery exercises and cryotherapy."
Mauri went on to explain how the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is the most powerful he's ever worked with:
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"As well as living a healthy life, he has a total dedication for physical recovery. He listens to all the signals from his body: he is always able to decode them perfectly. He is an athlete who knows perfection.
"He is a sort of fitness coach in himself. Of the seven ballon d'Or winners I have worked with, Cristiano Ronaldo is, without doubt, the most powerful.
In the kindest way possible, Cristiano Ronaldo is a freak of nature and his medical results at new club Juventus back up that statement.
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It has emerged that the striker's physical state has been compared to a 20 year old after results in his medical show that he has 7% body fat and an incredible 50% muscle mass, which is significantly better than his fellow professionals of that specific age group.
Not only that but the 33-year-old ran 33.98km at the World Cup, which was faster than anyone at the tournament. He just continues to smash records, despite his age.
Even before he joined the Turin side earlier this month, Real Madrid's coaching staff performed a series of tests on Cristiano Ronaldo's body and the results indicate that he had the physical condition of a 23-year old, but we're now comparing his results to someone three years younger.
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What a man.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football News, Football, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid
