Cristiano Ronaldo Workout: Real Madrid Player Purposely Makes Training Challenging

Cristiano Ronaldo claps in the middle of push-ups while everyone else is having a hard time doing the same workout minus the claps.

He's just making up for lost time after training much later than the others in the summer, the Daily Mail said, adding that what he showed was what it takes to win a Ballon d'Or.

However, while Ronaldo had a great previous season with Real Madrid, winning the Champions League and FIFA's player of the year award, his team is having a hard time with pre-season.

Add to that Portugal's bad performance, not even making it out of their group, so the pressure for redemption is mounting, the Daily Mail said.

Metro said the 29-year-old has a reputation of going the extra mile just to be in tip-top condition physically, demonstrated by "no less than 15 clapping press-ups."

Why not, if your physicality helps you rake in a host of advertisements?

For "the most famous player in the world's most popular sport," BusinessWeek said, he looks like a perfect mix of Barbie's Ken doll and Elvis Presley that comes with prowess with the football.

All that makes the forward an in-demand endorser, the report said, with Nike taking his services for almost $10 million per year--only to wear its products.

If you are one keeping tabs on his advertising deals, you know that he has Pao Facial Fitness in his long list of products, for which he has a "truly bizarre commercial" on Japanese television, Time said. Talk about fitness.

According to the report, the product helps you achieve his winning smile. The product flaps while you bite down at its center, helping you strenghten your cheeks. 

His testimonial on the company website says he uses it, BusinessWeek said, noting that his screen appearance for the product caused a "minor" stir.

Going back, for the Bleacher Report, the training is just the athlete's "competitive nature." It says that might be the reason he is among the fittest and best players on earth.

Add what another Metro report says is the latest challenge to his abilities, Toni Kroos, to the mix, and that competitive angle is played up. 

According to the report, Kroos deceived and therefore annoyed Ronaldo on Sunday. This is while only a few people succeed at outclassing Madrid's alpha dog. 

Kroos is a member of the squad that won this year's World Cup, the report noted. He previously played for Bayern Munich.

Whatever the reason, Ronaldo's workouts upped the ante for teammates like Gareth Bale, the earlier Metro report said. The rest in the team now hit the gym more, it said. 

That's an important response as the Los Blancos need to redeem themselves Tuesday versus Europa League winners Sevilla in the final of the European Super Cup, per the Daily Mail.