It was thought that Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud after showing off his 7-year-old son Cristianinho with his “muscular” physique thanks to his hard work at the gym. But CR7 was criticized by many people and even warned by experts that it was counterproductive to let his son go to the gym too early.
Public opinion “stoned”
The photo of a shirtless Cristianinho flexing his muscles and six-pack abs in CR7’s home gym, following his father’s famous goal celebration move, has caused more reactions than people expected.
When posting this photo on Instagram, CR7 captioned: “My son said he wants to be like his dad. What do you think about this?” After that “what do you think” suggestion, the response was not just exclamations of admiration “Like father, like son” as CR7 usually expected. There were many compliments, but there were also many negative and critical comments.
A fan commented: “I think it’s too early for a 7-year-old boy like Ronaldo’s son to go to the gym. At that age, he should be playing games, reading books, and stories. As for exercise, he should only do gentle movements.”
Cristianinho soon “practiced” like CR7
Another fan expressed concern: “What if other children in the world, when seeing this image, also ask their parents to let them go to the gym? It should be remembered that CR7 has a huge influence on the public.”
Some fans expressed concern for CR7’s eldest son: “At first glance, Ronaldo’s son looks like a little bodybuilder. But who can be sure if there are any health problems inside that muscular shell? We should be wary of anything that goes against the laws of nature. It’s not for nothing that nature has given humans different stages of development. Is it possible to skip stages like that?”
Doctor’s warning
It’s not just fans who “stone” CR7 with emotional comments. Experts have also issued warnings from a scientific perspective. Guillermo Rodriguez, a sports medicine specialist at the Avanfi physiotherapy institute in Spain, is concerned that working out too early can damage the body’s tendons and cartilage.
“People often say that lifting heavy loads too early can prevent the body from growing as tall as it naturally would,” Dr. Rodriguez explains. “This has not been scientifically proven. I think the most worrying issue is related to tendons. The attachment of tendons to bones can be affected by lifting heavy loads too early.”
Another doctor in the field of sports medicine in Spain, Carol Cooper, gives advice: “Gym training itself, including weight training, is not harmful to children. But how to exercise is another matter. We cannot take this lightly. What age group should exercise, close supervision of the child’s exercise process and rest and recovery regimen must be carried out strictly and accurately.
CR7 likes to show off pictures of his son working out at the gym.
The biggest risk of children going to the gym early is that muscle development too early can harm the skeletal system. Muscles are closely related to bones. Normally, the skeletal system develops until a person is 18 years old. It is impossible to rule out the possibility that bones will stop growing before their natural limit if they have to carry too much muscle too early.
However, Dr. Cooper believes that just from a few photos, it is not possible to hastily conclude that CR7 lets his son “work hard” at the gym. At the same time, Cooper also believes that CR7 is wise enough to hire a quality gym trainer for him and his son.
