Cristiano Ronaldo knows his way around a gym.Not only is the Manchester United superstar arguably the greatest male footballer in history, but he also lays claim to the status of being the sport's finest ever athlete.As recently as 20 years ago, football wasn't the clean-eating and health-obsessed game that we know today with sports science in its infancy and players still knocking back pints after matches.
Football's ultimate machine
But even in an era where every meal and workout is put under the microscope, few players can hold a candle to the ultimate footballing machine that is Ronaldo himself.
Now, it's important to be upfront here and say that no one body is automatically the ideal one. An athletic and fit physique can come in all different shapes and sizes for both men and women.
However, it just so happens that the rippling muscles and toned upper body of Ronaldo have worked an absolute treat for him personally because the results on the pitch speak for themselves.
We are, after all, talking about a player who has ranked amongst the sport's fastest sprinters deep into his thirties and produces headers with leaps so incredible that they wouldn't look out of place in the NBA.
Marry that to the strength required to hold off the most gladiatorial of centre-backs as well as the nimbleness needed to go on mazy dribbles and it couldn't be any clearer that Ronaldo's body works perfectly for him.
And the remarkable fact behind all of these elite physical capabilities is that Ronaldo has been able to maintain them up until an age where most elite footballers are already winding down.
Soccer Football - Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg - Real Madrid vs Juventus - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - April 11, 2018 Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates REUTERS/Paul Hanna
Ronaldo shows off his ripped physique
So, when Ronaldo decided to show off his physique to the world on social media ahead of the 2022/23 season in which he will turn 38 years old, we really shouldn't be surprised that he still looked incredible.
But of all the topless photos that Ronaldo shows off on his social media pages, we're inclined to think that his most recent post is amongst the most eye-catching for displaying his elite physique at age 37.
Posing with his arms straight on a pommel horse, you can't help admiring the man's commitment to conditioning when you see his muscular arms, shoulders, chest and abdominals in action.
It's one thing to see a classic photo of Ronaldo modelling his swimwear, but it's another thing to see him flexing the physiology weaponry that makes him such an animal. Check out the post below:
What an absolute machine.
Ronaldo's body works perfectly for him
Now, like we say, strutting about with a body like Ronaldo's doesn't automatically mean that you're fit as a fiddle and live a healthy lifestyle.
The 'Love Island body' that is so often championed without caveats isn't necessarily the right cookie cutter cliché for everybody's personal fitness goals and dietary requirements.
It just so happens that Ronaldo's elite performances in his day-to-day job show that his particular physique - which, sure, wouldn't look out of place on reality TV - works brilliantly for what he needs his body to achieve in football.
Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group F - Portugal v Germany - Football Arena Munich, Munich, Germany - June 19, 2021 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo removes his shirt after the match Pool via REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
And to think that he's maintained that deep into his thirties is a testament to the Portugal icon's commitment to playing at a world-beating level for longer than anybody before him in the sports science era.
As we all know, social media can be a misleading and deceptive place to be, but you can rest assured that Ronaldo's latest snaps show that he's coming into the 2022/23 season ready for war.