Cristiano Ronaldo's training in 2008, when he was a player at Manchester United, included a variety of activities that helped him improve all aspects of his athletic performance. Here’s an overview of his training regimen during that period:
The training regimen starts as follows:
1. Physical Training:
- Warm-up: Ronaldo would begin with a warm-up session that included light running and dynamic exercises to prepare his muscles and joints.
- Fitness: Intense running sessions and endurance exercises to improve cardiovascular fitness.
Example: Running at a moderate level (50%) for 5 minutes, followed by advanced running (100%) for 30 seconds, then repeating 5 minutes at 50%, followed by 30 seconds at 100%. (Repeat 4 times or more).
- Speed Training: Short sprints and explosive strength exercises to improve his speed on the pitch.
Example: Sprinting 70 to 100 meters at full speed, resting for a minute, and repeating 5 times (preferably on a hill).
Followed by explosive exercises:
- Depth jumps: 10 reps, 3 sets.
- Lateral jumps: 15 reps, 3 sets.
- Standing jumps: 10 reps, 3 sets.
2. Gym Training:
(For those training at home or outdoors, alternative exercises can be performed after this program).
- Strength Training: Ronaldo focused on strengthening all muscle groups, including weight training exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups.
- Functional Training: Exercises aimed at improving strength, flexibility, and balance, such as planks and free-weight exercises.
Home Strength Training:
-For strength training:
- Squats: Use your body weight or add weights if possible.
- Lunges: Perform forward lunges with or without weights.
- Push-ups: Do push-ups on the ground to work on your chest and arms.
-For Functional Exercises:
- Planks: Hold a plank position to improve core strength.
- Side bends: To improve lateral stability and side muscles.
- Step-ups: Strengthen legs and improve balance.
- Lateral jumps: Improve strength and flexibility.
With this routine, you can achieve similar benefits to gym training at home.
3. Technical Training:
- Ball Control: Intense sessions to improve ball control, passing, and shooting.
Example: Ball control training: video.
Example: Passing drill: video.
Example: Training to engrain subconscious control: video.
- Tactics: Focus on improving tactical aspects and a deep understanding of the game, including teamwork and tactical movements.
Example: A small match, whether at the beach or in the neighborhood, applying the movements of top players.
- Shooting: Specialized training for shooting from various angles and distances.
Example: Penalty or free kicks, or running with the ball and shooting from uncomfortable positions.
4. Mental Training:
- Mental Focus: Ronaldo invested in techniques to improve focus and the ability to handle pressure, such as meditation and visualization.
Example: Meditate daily for 10 to 20 minutes, focusing on breathing in and out and relaxing.
-Visualization:
Example : Before the match, sit and close your eyes, and visualize yourself in the game, dribbling, passing, and completing all your tasks for 10 minutes.
- Video Analysis: Study and analyze previous matches to identify strengths and weaknesses in both his performance and the opponent’s.
Example: Watch old and complete matches.
5. Recovery and Nutrition:
- Rest and Sleep: Ronaldo placed great importance on rest and good sleep to ensure optimal recovery.
Example: Dedicate one day a week to rest and recovery, go swimming, or do light exercises like flexibility or massage.
- Nutrition: Follow a balanced diet rich in proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats to ensure the necessary energy supply and improve recovery.
Example: Create a personalized meal plan suited to your body weight, height, and income, tailored for football.
(If you don’t have a meal plan, I will help you create one in the next article).
Training Schedule:
- Monday: Physical training (endurance, speed), strength training.
- Tuesday: Technical training (ball control, tactics), high-intensity interval running.
- Wednesday: Gym training, functional strength exercises.
- Thursday: Technical training (shooting, passing), speed training.
- Friday: Physical training, strength training.
- Saturday: Technical training or practice matches.
- Sunday: Rest or recovery day (swimming, massage).
This comprehensive and balanced training regimen helped Cristiano Ronaldo achieve exceptional performance, which was evident during his outstanding 2007-2008 season with Manchester United.
Don’t forget consistency and staying focused on your goal. I’m here to help you.
Dedication
+ hard work
= success
