Get to Know Chris Hemsworth's Full Body Routine
Chris Hemsworth is Thor and, although he shows us in the full-body routines he does to have the physique of the Norse god his social networks, they’re pretty complicated for us mere mortals. However, if we dream of having the beefy arm that allows us to lift the most desired hammer of them all, there are some great tips we can learnt from Chris Hemsworth’s routine.
The actor trains with Luke Zocchi, a personal friend since he was 8 years old. With him, they’ve designed routines that can be purchased and followed through an app or a web plan. They’re not long exercises (in fact, they last less than 60 minutes in total), but they demand the entire body and require strong intensity.
Because the premiere of the new Thor movie is approaching, Chris Hemsworth has shared with his followers the full-body routines he’s applying to sustain his musculature. One of them is quite varied with a lot of calisthenics, while another is based on using the barbell.
10 rounds with 10 reps
Chris Hemsworth’s first plan for the demanding full-body routine is based on exercises that are repeated 10 times, but with 10 rounds of each! That’s an abysmal amount for anyone trying to approach the project of building Thor’s body.
Anyway, it’s interesting to analyze how this batch of exercises is structured and what we can learn from it, so we don’t get to injure ourselves or put our health at risk. In fact, the actor’s words on his Instagram highlight that everyone should make prudent use of this recommendation.
“This workout is not for the faint of heart. It’s a monster of a routine. So give it a try and, above all, complete it at your own pace.” -Chris Hemsworth
The 7 exercises are as follows:
- Biceps curls
- Overhead press
- Triceps extensions
- Squats
- Lunges
- Incline rowing
- Standing twists
How many repetitions should I do if I’m not Chris Hemsworth?
Ten repetitions for each of these 7 exercises, in 10 rounds, would demand a lot of time, and we would end up exhausted if we’re not regulars to such demanding routines. At the same time, we could incur injuries of moderate severity without prior preparation.
So how can we do Chris Hemsworth’s full-body routine in a way that makes sense for our capabilities? The important thing is in regulating and setting goals that are in line with what we want.
If muscle hypertrophy is the goal for aesthetic purposes, then we must look for the correct mechanical stimulus that will lead us to build more mass. This is achieved with proper execution of the technique of each exercise and with an accompanying diet.
In this case, it may be useful to increase the number of repetitions and the frequency of performance, not exceeding more than one day of rest in between. This measure helps to promote hypertrophy.
However, if we want to gain strength rather than mass, the repetitions won’t be so relevant, as scientific studies indicate. Grip strength, for example, is not so much related to the number of sets that reach failure, but rather to consistency and a diverse stimulus for the muscles, which implies good eccentric technique and changes in the routines every so often (4 to 6 weeks).
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How do I gain muscle mass?
Since muscle mass gain is a very broad topic and there are multiple formulas, such as the one proposed by Chris Hemsworth in his full body routine, it’s best to summarize the keys. Fortunately, some sports medicine scientists have established rules that assess how many reps, how many rests, and how often I should apply for hypertrophy.
So, if we go by science, what we should try is the following:
- Training with weights (external weights or variants with your own body weight)
- Do between 8 and 12 repetitions per exercise
- Perform 3 to 5 sets of each group of repetitions per exercise
- Rest 2 to 3 minutes between each set
- Respect every part of the exercises
- Don’t reach muscular burnout, but be close to it
- Train each muscle group 3 times per week
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Chris Hemsworth’s barbell-only full-body routine
Chris Hemsworth’s other full-body routine only involves a barbell. There are many trainers who propose this modality at some point in the preparation, although it’s not recommended to be the only option.
In fact, varying the mechanical stimulations is what enhances muscle development. However, if you attend a gym that has different bars, you can take advantage of a few months of the year to focus only on them.
The performer performs a routine with the following exercises (all of them are with a barbell):
- Biceps curl with prone grip
- Military press
- Triceps extension
- Squats
- Rowing
- Lunges
- Standing twist
As we clarified before, make sure to do the repetitions depending on the objectives. However, we’d also like to emphasize that you respect the technique and the gesture of each movement. The bar can cause injuries if we don’t load it as it should or if we force the angle of use beyond our capabilities.
Take Chris Hemsworth’s full-body tips, but follow your own pace
The actor himself advises it. Don’t over-accelerate or push yourself. Don’t demand from your muscles what they can’t do yet.
Take the series of exercises Thor proposes as a base, but adapt the series and repetitions to what you can do. You will notice results if you accompany this with a muscle mass-oriented diet and if you rest well.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Bustos-Viviescas, B. J., Lozano Zapata, R. E., & Alonso Acevedo-Mindiola, A. (2020). Incidencia de la masa muscular de miembros inferiores en la repetición máxima en sentadilla media. Revista Cubana de Medicina Militar, 49(4).
- Raya-González, J., & Martínez Sánchez, M. A. (2019). Métodos de entrenamiento y aspectos nutricionales para el aumento de la masa muscular: una revisión sistemática. Arch. med. deporte, 376-385.