Exercise Scientist Critiques Cristiano Ronaldo’s Training
In a Nutshell
Dr. Mike rates Cristiano Ronaldo's viral "workout" a 1.5/10 for building muscle or fat loss because it's a recovery session, not actual training. The 17,000 daily steps and 7+ hours of sleep are Ronaldo's real performance drivers, while the bodyweight exercises shown are too light and never approach failure to create meaningful adaptations. For regular people seeking an athletic physique, the evidence-based approach is 3-4 weekly 30-60 minute full-body weight sessions, 10-12k steps, and controlled protein intake rather than high-volume ab circuits and low-load movements.
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Dr. Mike from RP Strength rated Cristiano Ronaldo's workout routine a 1.5 out of 10 for transferring to getting someone jacked and leaned. The routine shown is actually a recovery session for Ronaldo, not a real workout. For regular people, this would be either the world's easiest workout or also a recovery session.
Dr. Mike is a former professor of exercise and sports science, competitive bodybuilder, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grappler. Soccer was his first organized sport, which he played in Russia. He described Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the best soccer players of all time.
Ronaldo stated: "If you're training 2 hours, you have to recover 2 hours." Dr. Mike noted this one-to-one training to recovery paradigm is not in evidence, stating one-to-one recovery is very low end and most pursuits require more recovery time.
Ronaldo emphasized having a routine as the most important thing. Dr. Mike confirmed this is factual, explaining that high-level sport demands clash with what people want. Consistent routine of brutal training, dedicated diet, good sleep, and recovery gets 90-95% of all benefits, rather than hacks like drinking specific juice or taking zinc.
Ronaldo averages 17,000 steps per day. During actual soccer training, he likely gets significantly more. Dr. Mike explained this high activity level has both benefits and drawbacks:
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