How the god of thunder gets in shape

As one might expect, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor workout plan isn’t for the faint of heart. After all, the Marvel superhero is supposed to be larger than life itself, so some intensive muscle-building is basically mandatory. And while Chris Hemsworth’s body is naturally muscular, don’t think for a second he didn’t employ a vigorous regimen when preparing for the role. That was true for the first Thor film, and it remains true all the way up to the upcoming Avengers installment.

The very idea of a Chris Hemsworth Thor workout plan might sound intimidating, but that doesn’t mean it’s beyond one’s grasp. On the contrary, the Aussie actor and his personal trainer, Luke Zocchi, didn’t stray too far outside the box when putting the plan into action. If anything, Hemsworth’s respective exercise routines are all about consistency, dedication, and intensity. In fact, Zocchi once claimed that he and Hemsworth never workout for more than an hour at a time. Of course, that makes for one brutal hour!

Want a body like the god of thunder? Here’s a detailed account of how you can achieve it:

Chris Hemsworth’s workout plan

As mentioned earlier, Hemsworth’s Thor workout plan is all about consistency, intensity, and dedication. Well, that and some serious bodybuilding. Indeed, Hemsworth needed to turn thousands of excess calories into muscle, and he only had an hour at a time to do it. It is safe to say, not many workouts compare to a Chris Hemsworth workout routine. Our own muscles are getting sore just thinking about it.

According to Luke Zocchi, Chris Hemsworth’s workout plan consisted of traditional bodybuilding and functional training. In other words, Hemsworth lifted a lot of weights but furthermore stayed mobile so that he could still perform as many of his own stunts as possible, and hit the waves without sinking like a stone. Also, since Thor’s upper body gets much more attention from the camera than say his legs, Zocchi and Hemsworth primarily targeted the shoulders and arms. Here are some of the exercises they implemented in the Chris Hemsworth workout plan.

• Back squats – One of the most basic strength exercises is also one of the best. It builds muscle and improves balance in one fell swoop.

• Bench presses – Another bodybuilding staple that does exactly what you think it does: builds muscle.

• Deadlifts – This is easily one of the most effective measures for building strength, presuming you actually do it properly.

• Pull-ups – If you struggle at first, don’t give up, as pull-ups get easier the more you do them.

• Bear crawls – Hemsworth stayed spry by performing functional exercises such as bear crawls.

Naturally, the above is a mere sample of Hemsworth’s exercises. Here’s a (reported) breakdown of the actor’s specific Thor workout routine:

Bodyweight circuit training

1. Pull-ups (three sets, 15 reps) for lats

2. Sit-up (three sets, 20 reps) for abs

3. Push-ups (three sets, 15 reps) for chest

4. Front box jump (three sets, 10 reps) for hamstrings

5. Bodyweight squat (three sets, 15 reps) for quadriceps

Iron circuit training

1. Barbell squat (three sets, 15 reps) for quadriceps

2. Barbell bench press (three sets, five reps) for chest

3. Standing military press (three sets, eight reps) for shoulders

4. Barbell deadlift (three sets, five reps) for hamstrings

5. Hammer curls (three sets, five reps) for biceps

Last but not least, here are some general rules to abide by when becoming the next Thor:

1. Stick with free weights in lieu of machine weights, as free weights do a better job at working the full body.

2. Focus primarily on compound lifts and exercises (deadlifts, squats, etc). Again, these methods target multiple areas of the body as opposed to just one specific area.

3. Don’t go to extremes when you’re lifting. Keep your reps in a moderate zone.

4. Don’t rest too much between sets. Along similar lines, stay focused on the tasks at hand, and avoid looking at your phone.

5. Incorporate downtime into your overall routine. In other words: take the occasional day off.

Clearly, if you want a Chris Hemsworth body, you are going to have to work for it. In summary, Chris Hemsworth’s workout plan goes big on free weights and full-body exercises. It requires an hour of thoroughly intense muscle-building, with little downtime between sets. Also implemented are functional training exercises, which improve movement skills and retain balance. Throw in a diligent diet plan and you too can be like Thor.