Few embody superhero status like Chris Hemsworth. Since entering the Marvel Universe as the God of Thunder, the former Home & Away star has made chiselled abs, broad shoulders and a shockingly sharp jawline his trademark. But for Hemsworth, his dedication to health and fitness is about more than simply getting in shape for a role; it’s a lifestyle that has found him launching his own fitness app CentrFit.
Think of Centr as the Avengers of health and fitness. Hemsworth has brought together the big guns from across the industry, with experts in everything from yoga and nutrition to boxing and meditation. But while the app offers a good entry into how to train and eat like Thor himself, Hemsworth’s own workout plan can be a little more intense when preparing for a role. Alongside his trainer Luke Zocchi, Hemsworth adopts a regime specific to the demands of the character he’s portraying. Sometimes, this finds him chasing all the #gainz he can, and at others he’s limiting calories and upping the cardio. Though, regardless of the plan, one thing Hemsworth never sacrifices is intensity and consistency.
If you’re interested in channelling Hemsworth, below is a breakdown of his workout routine and his day on a plate. It’s full of resistance training, free weights and industrial amounts of protein. While it can look like a lot (and it is), one encouraging detail that Zocchi shares is the fact Hemsworth rarely ever trains for more than an hour a day. And who hasn’t got a spare hour free? So, the key here is to get in, work hard, and get out. Simple.
Training
This ain’t your average bro split. While Hemsworth has added some serious bulk to his frame since playing the role of Thor, he steers clear of just using body building moves geared toward muscle growth. Instead, Hemsworth and Zocchi favour functional training that helps build a more balanced physique.
“It’s very easy to go for the showy muscle but for Thor, I don’t want cosmetic muscle,” he says.
“You can really tell when someone has functionality – they move differently, and for me, I found it so much better with injuries and general well-being when I upped my functional and core workouts.”
Movements
While functional training provides the base, Zocchi explains that they dialled in on upper body movements to really emphasise the God-like stature. “The Thor body is all about big shoulders and arms,” says Zocchi. “After we had a costume fitting, we saw what body parts were exposed so we could target them. The main moves we focus on are: pull ups, push ups, shoulder press, seated incline curl and skull crushers.”
Routine
Training for Thor involved 4-5 heavy sessions a week plus a light movement session.
Cutting weight
Not all Hemsworth roles find him cut like Adonis. For The Heart and the Sea, the Aussie adopted a much slimmer frame, existing on just 600-700 calories a day using intermittent fasting. His training included lots and lots of cycling.
To play the charming cult leader Billy Lee at Bad Times at the El Royale, Hemsworth was lean and natural. This meant eating around 2300 calories a day and circuit training.
Example workout
Zocchi and Hemsworth favour short and intense sessions. One methodology they adopt is HIRT, high intensity resistance training, and yes it is designed to hurt. Here’s an example session he shared:
Rounds: five.
Reps: 10 of each movement.
Rest: 30 seconds between moves.
Movements:
Dumbbell Renegade Row and Press-Up
Diet
We hate to break it to you but if the training sounded tough, the diet can be even more demanding. So, buckle up. Even Hemsworth admits it’s a challenge keeping up. “Sometimes the amount of protein I have to eat can be overwhelming,” he says.
To give you an insight into his day on a plate, Hemsworth’s chef Sergio Perera has shared some of his go to recipes and secrets. “It’s the culmination of a lot of trial and error,” says Perera. “Through the six years working together we have discovered a few things that have changed a lot about his general health and well-being.”
Perera explains that Hemsworth eats a little more red meat than usual, “but limits it to daytime as it requires more energy to digest. This is unless he trains later in the evening, in which case he may have a lamb chop after his workout.”
One thing to note is Hemsworth’s morning shake. “Chris’ day always starts with a large green shake made up of 5-6 different types of leafy greens and vegetables, low-glycemic fruits, nuts, seeds, fats and small amounts of sea salt to aid in electrolyte balance, nerve transmission and glucose metabolism,” Perera explains. “The protein source is preferably a mix of rice, hemp and pea protein which has proven to be a much better option for him.”
What supplements does Hemsworth take?
Before going to bed, Perara explains, he will have “a serving of BCAAs along with a magnesium/zinc supplement” to help aid muscle recovery while helping the body become calm before going to bed.
Day 1 on a plate
- 8am – Green power shake with protein
- 10am – Bowl of yoghurt with mixed fresh berries, chia seeds, almonds and honey
- 12pm – Workout
- 1pm – Post-workout shake consisting of vegetable protein, ice water, BCAAs and 1g of Vitamin C
- 2:30pm – 8oz grilled chicken with crispy sweet potatoes and a rocket salad with seeds, nuts and salted apple. Lemon and olive oil dressing on the side
- 5:30pm – 2 rice crackers with Vegemite, tuna and cherry tomatoes
- 7pm – 8oz white fish with grilled mushrooms and a raw broccoli salad
- 9pm – Half of a small paw paw/papaya with yoghurt and berries. Magnesium/zinc supplement.
Day 2
- 8am – Green power shake with protein
- 10am – 3 fried eggs on a slice of wholegrain toast with Vegemite and avocado
- 12pm – Workout
- 1pm – Post-workout shake consisting of vegetable protein, ice water, BCAAs and 1g of Vitamin C
- 2:30pm – 8oz eye fillet (fillet mignon), grilled pumpkin salad with spinach, herbs, cucumber and ½ cup of steamed rice
- 5:30pm – Chicken and vegetable soup with barley
- 7pm – 8oz white fish, leafy green salad with radicchio and balsamic dressing. A side of roasted mixed cruciferous vegetables
- 9pm – BCAAs with Magnesium/zinc supplement.
Day 3
- 7am – Green power shake with protein
- 9am – 3 scrambled eggs on a spelt wrap with tomato salsa
- 11am – Workout
- 12pm – Fresh tuna sashimi salad with bitter and leafy greens, avocado, walnuts and a half cup of sushi rice
- 3pm – A homemade frozen green bar (a blended mix of spinach, cooked and frozen cauliflower, chia seeds, dates, spirulina, bee pollen, banana, almond flour, pumpkin seeds and cucumber)
- 6:30pm – Grilled lamb chops, cauliflower mash, grilled zucchini and roasted carrots
- 9pm – Yoghurt with some honey and BCAAs with magnesium/zinc.
