July 4, 2026, 4:04 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Many professional athletes slow down significantly after retiring–not Zlatan Ibrahimović. The former soccer pro and ex-national player for Sweden still hits the gym almost daily at 44, lifting heavy weights, doing intense functional workouts, and continuing to hone his strength, flexibility, and endurance. For him, training is a way of life and means more than just fitness. FITBOOK knows what his routines look like today.
Since retiring from professional soccer in 2023, Zlatan Ibrahimović has been regularly sharing insights into his workouts on Instagram. These include heavy squats, deadlifts, power cleans, or push presses–often combined into challenging sequences that simultaneously demand strength, coordination, and conditioning. He also incorporates intense CrossFit-style circuits and demanding exercises like rope climbing using only his arms.
Still in Top Form After Retirement
During his active career, Ibrahimović was one of the most physically imposing players ever. The Swede combined size, strength, and athleticism like few other soccer pros. And there’s no sign that the 44-year-old is taking it easy after his active career.
“I push it to the limit. I’m just never satisfied; I always try to raise the bar each time,” he once said in an interview with GQ. And it shows–sitting still is still not an option for him. “I’m only happy when I’m moving,” explained the current TV expert. That’s why he doesn’t need special motivation for training. Anyone who wants to stay fit long-term should naturally integrate movement into their daily life–even if it’s just taking the stairs more often instead of the elevator.
How COVID-19 Has Changed Our Lives
The Real “Arnold Schwarzenegger” Workout
Why Zlatan Ibrahimović “Loves the Suffering”
Ibrahimović still focuses on strength training today. He regularly trains his legs with functional full-body exercises. Videos also show him doing barbell complexes of deadlifts and front squats or Olympic lifts with up to 120 kilograms. It’s no longer about preparing for soccer games but about continually challenging his own body. In a conversation with Rio Ferdinand, another retired ex-soccer player, he summed up his attitude: “I love to suffer.”
He’s particularly taken with CrossFit. “I train my legs a lot. I do squats. I do CrossFit–that’s the only thing I suffer from.” This combination of strength, endurance, and functional training is considered particularly effective because it not only builds muscles but also improves stability, flexibility, and coordination–skills that become increasingly important with age.
Zlatan’s Intense Morning Routine
A video titled “Morning routines” shows just how intensely Zlatan Ibrahimović still trains. At the start, the Swede grabs a barbell and performs several overhead presses, where he controls the weight above his head. The exercise primarily strengthens the shoulders, arms, and core while requiring a stable posture. He then moves to the pull-up bar. There, he does toes-to-bar–one of the most challenging bodyweight exercises in CrossFit. He explosively lifts his straight legs until his toes touch the bar. The session concludes with wall walks. For this, Ibrahimović walks his feet up the wall while his hands move step by step toward the wall until he’s nearly in a handstand. The exercise challenges the entire body and is considered a real challenge even for trained athletes.
The morning routine shown highlights that even years after his retirement, Ibrahimović relies on functional training that equally develops strength, stability, flexibility, and coordination.