Rio Ferdinand might have retired from football on May 20, 2015, but the former Manchester United legend has not compromised his fitness routine and habits.

However, the 47-year-old’s reason for going to the gym has changed. Now, he no longer visits the gym to prove himself in the Premier League. He exercises to get stronger, feel better, and look good.

Ferdinand told Men's Health, “There’s a holistic approach to what I’m doing now, and hopefully that’s going to put me in good stead.”

According to the article, Ferdinand now tries to prevent injuries rather than fix them after they occur, which was not possible during his 90-minute professional matches. That’s why he works out under the guidance of Amandio Costa, who designed Ferdinand’s workouts “around core movement patterns that exist both in and out of the gym.” So, his workouts, which are split into superset blocks, look like:

1st Block:

• Kettlebell Farmer's Carry for 60 secs
• Plank Shift-Back with Sliders for 10 reps.

2nd block:

• Inverted Row for 6 reps
• Push-ups for 6 reps.

3rd block:

• Kettlebell Kickstand Romanian Deadlift for 6 reps
• Double-Kettlebell Front-Rack Squat for 6 reps.

4th block:

• Chin-up for 6 reps
• Dips for 6 reps.

5th block:

• Air bike for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off.

Ferdinand's motivation comes from his father. According to Men's Health, the legendary footballer admitted that as a child, he often saw his father working out. Although his father did not have a gym membership, “there was always a set of dumbbells in the house.”

Whenever Ferdinand got ready for school, his father's workout soundtrack reached his ears. Ferdinand also admitted that his father and the workout situation definitely motivated him.

He said, “You do what you see.”

One thing that needs to be highlighted is that working out alone did not keep him fit and lean; his approach to food played an equal role.

Rio Ferdinand's dieting approach

According to Men's Health, Ferdinand was not entirely satisfied with his physique after retiring.

He said, “In those early days of retirement it was a dirty bulk. Adding muscle without thinking much about body composition.”

At that time, in clothes, Ferdinand “looked really good.” But without clothes, he said his physique looked flabby.

Ferdinand admitted that the issue was sustainability and that his extreme diet became hard for him to maintain alongside everyday life.

At that time, he used to focus on a zero-carb diet, but Ferdinand changed his approach.

According to the article, “Now 47, he still leans towards higher fats and lower carbs, but with far more flexibility…. He doesn’t meal prep, because it doesn’t suit his routine, and instead focuses on making sensible choices he can sustain.”

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil