Now that he’s over a decade retired from professional football, Rio Ferdinand‘s training is now built around a merging of longevity and athleticism. He no longer needs to worry about preparing for intense 90-minute matches, but, at 47, he recognises the importance of equipping his body with all the tools it needs to age pain-free.

‘There’s a holistic approach to what I’m doing now and hopefully that’s going to put me in good stead,’ Ferdinand tells MH. ‘Rather than fixing things when they’re broken, you actually prevent [injuries]. I know my shit now. But I’m 47 years old. It took me all that time.’

That’s why his PT, Amandio Costa, designs his workouts around core movement patterns that exist both in and out of the gym. And the latest session is a circuit-style workout that’s split into superset blocks of high-quality work.

Want to train like Rio? His PT, Amandio Costa, has created a four-week plan exclusively for members of the MH SQUAD. Join the MH SQUAD to access the plan, or existing members can head straight into their app.

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Complete two rounds of each block. Rest 60–90 seconds between rounds. Move directly between A1/A2, B1/B2 etc. with no rest.

Block 1

Block 2

Block 3

Block 4

D1. Chin-Up x 6 reps
D2. Dips x 6 reps

Block 5

E1. Air Bike, 30 secs on / 30 secs off x 10 rounds

• Use weights that challenge you to hit the prescribed reps. Once you can complete reps as prescribed, add weight.
• Add weight to dips and chin-ups if possible.
• Maximum effort in 30-sec blocks on assault bike. Use a rower, ski erg or treadmill where necessary.

Kettlebell Farmer’s Carry

• Hold a heavy kettlebell in each hand at your sides, shoulders pulled down and back.
• Stand tall, brace your core and walk with short, controlled steps. Avoid leaning or rushing.
• The aim is to maintain posture and tension throughout, keeping your ribcage stacked over your pelvis as you move.

Plank Shift-Back with Sliders

• Start in a high plank with sliders under your feet.
• Keeping your arms straight and core braced, push your hips back slightly, then glide forward into a strong plank position.
• Maintain a neutral spine throughout and avoid sagging or piking excessively. Move slowly and under control.

Inverted Row

• Hold suspension trainer handles, gym rings or a barbell in a rack and lean back with arms straight and body rigid.
• Pull your chest towards the handles by driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Lower slowly to full extension, keeping your core tight and hips level throughout.

Push-Up

• Assume a strong plank position, hands stacked directly below elbows and shoulders, bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor.
• Keep your upper arms from flaring as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position.
• Repeat.

Kettlebell Kickstand Romanian Deadlift

• Hold a kettlebell in one or both hands. Place one foot slightly behind you as a support, keeping most of the load through the front leg.
• Hinge at the hips, pushing them back while maintaining a flat back.
• Lower until you feel a hamstring stretch, then drive back to standing.

Double Kettlebell Front Rack Squat

• Clean two kettlebells into the front rack position, resting them against your forearms.
• Sit back and down into a squat, keeping your chest tall and elbows high.
• Drive through your feet to stand, maintaining tension through your core and upper back throughout the movement.

Chin-Up

• Grip the bar with palms facing you, hands shoulder-width apart.
• Pull yourself up by driving your elbows down until your chin clears the bar.
• Lower under control to full extension. Keep your legs still and avoid swinging, focusing on smooth, strict reps.

Dip

• Support yourself on parallel bars with arms locked out.
• Lower your body by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your sides and your chest slightly forward.
• Descend until your shoulders dip below your elbows, then press powerfully back to the top under control.

Air Bike

• Set yourself up on your bike – your back should be straight and the saddle adjusted so you have a slight bend in the knee at the bottom of your cycle, and only the slightest bend in your arm at the end of each stroke.
• Go for a max-effort sprint until the display reads the desired calorie number, keeping your torso and head up, and controlling your breathing.

Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.

During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.

Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…

You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_