It takes a tear-inducing amount of effort to become a superhero, as made perfectly clear by (relatively) recent Marvel initiate Kumail Nanjiani. Yet somehow, Aussie icon Chris Hemsworth makes his extremely disciplined workout and diet plan look perfectly routine.
I suppose when you’re charged with portraying a Norse god who’s apparently “the strongest Avenger” on IMAX screens across the globe, you’d certainly want to look the part. However, it’s worth noting genetics has gifted Hemmsy with a naturally muscular frame — some might even say he was born for the role.
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It’d also be remiss not to mention a) the abundance of studio resources at his disposal; and b) this is literally his goddamn job.
While it’s possible to now train and even eat like Chris Hemsworth thanks to his ever-popular Centr app., we thought it’d be fascinating to lay out his personal process in as much detail as possible. You know… just to get that motivation to carve a rig for summer going.
How To Get Ripped Like Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth’s Diet Plan
It’s often noted that exercise isn’t where the general population fails — it’s the diet.
Abs/biceps/whatevers, after all, are made in the kitchen. And the Chris Hemsworth diet plan just goes to prove that clean living is a major key for anyone who wants to lose weight and build muscle mass.
Thankfully, this won’t be a joyless affair comprised solely of fish and a rice cake. It will, however, require just as much effort as the exercise component.
While Chris Hemsworth’s diet is obviously adjusted depending on the forthcoming role — i.e. slimming down to play James Hunt in Rush, slimming down even further to play Owen Chase in In the Heart of the Sea — let’s proceed under the assumption that we’re all gunning for the coveted Thor physique.
“It’s obviously very high in protein, and I eat six times a day,” Chris Hemsworth has previously said of his dietary habits (read: lean proteins).
“With the months leading up to the shoot and during filming, I’m basically overfeeding myself on protein and endless amounts of chicken breast, eggs, steak, fish, vegetables, tuna, avocado, cottage cheese, and brown rice.”
He added: “That said, we’ve tried to cut down a bit on animal protein and introduce more legumes and certain grains, as a result of being more mindful about the environment. But to be honest, it’s still mostly animal proteins.”
According to Sergio Perera — a chef who regularly works with the actor; features on his Centr app — here’s what Chris Hemsworth eats daily to maintain mass (and send legions of admirers into sheer hysteria whenever he strips down).
Monday
8 AM: Green power shake with protein
10 AM: Bowl of yoghurt with mixed fresh berries, chia seeds, almonds, and honey
12 PM: [Workout]
1 PM: Post-workout shake consisting of vegetable protein, ice water, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and 1g of Vitamin C
2:30 PM: 8oz grilled chicken with crispy sweet potatoes and a rocket salad with seeds, nuts, and salted apple (lemon & olive oil dressing on the side)
5:30 PM: Two rice crackers with Vegemite, tuna, and cherry tomatoes
7 PM: 8oz white fish with grilled mushrooms and raw broccoli salad
9 PM: Half a small paw/papaya with yoghurt and berries; magnesium/zinc supplement
Tuesday (Mirrors Monday)
8 AM: Green power shake with protein
10 AM: Bowl of yoghurt with mixed fresh berries, chia seeds, almonds, and honey
12 PM: [Workout]
1 PM: Post-workout shake consisting of vegetable protein, ice water, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and 1g of Vitamin C
2:30 PM: 8oz grilled chicken with crispy sweet potatoes and a rocket salad with seeds, nuts, and salted apple (lemon & olive oil dressing on the side)
5:30 PM: Two rice crackers with Vegemite, tuna, and cherry tomatoes
7 PM: 8oz white fish with grilled mushrooms and raw broccoli salad
9 PM: Half a small paw/papaya with yoghurt and berries; magnesium/zinc supplement
Tuesday
8 AM: Green power shake with protein
10 AM: Three fried eggs on a slice of wholegrain toast with Vegemite and avocado
12 PM: [Workout]
1 PM: Post-workout shake consisting of vegetable protein, ice water, BCAAs and 1g of Vitamin C
2:30 PM: 8oz eye fillet (fillet mignon), grilled pumpkin salad with spinach, herbs, cucumber, and ½ cup of steamed rice
5:30 PM: Chicken & vegetable soup with barley
7 PM: 8oz white fish, leafy green salad with radicchio and balsamic dressing, side of roasted mixed cruciferous vegetables
9 PM: BCAAs with magnesium/zinc supplement
Wednesday
7 AM: Green power shake with protein
9 AM: Three scrambled eggs on a wrap with tomato salsa
11 AM: [Workout]
12 PM: Fresh tuna sashimi salad with bitter and leafy greens, avocado, walnuts, and ½ cup of sushi rice
3 PM: Homemade frozen green bar (blended mix of spinach, cooked + frozen cauliflower, chia seeds, dates, spirulina, bee pollen, banana, almond flour, pumpkin seeds, and cucumber)
6:30 PM: Grilled lamb chops, cauliflower mash, grilled zucchini, and roasted carrots
9 PM: Yoghurt with some honey and BCAAs with magnesium/zinc
Thursday
8 AM: Almond banana shake with flax oil, bee pollen, a pinch of sea salt, and vegetable protein
10 AM: Two fried eggs on a slice of spelt bread with warm spinach
12 PM: [Workout]
1 PM: Post-workoutprotein BCAAs shake
2 PM: 6oz grilled ribeye steak, grilled romaine and vegetable salad, with ½ cup of wild rice pilaf
4 PM: Beef jerky snack with nuts and dried fruit
7 PM: Steamed snapper fish with tomato, onion, roasted brussels sprouts, and small baked potato with Greek yoghurt
9 PM: BCAAs and magnesium/zinc supplement
Friday
8 AM: Raw cacao & frozen berry shake with coconut oil, chia seeds, dates, and vegetable protein
10 AM: Savory porridge with olive oil, parmesan, and two poached eggs
12 PM: [Workout]
1 PM: Post-workout shake
2 PM: Sesame chicken salad with leafy greens, sprouts, pickles, and ½ cup of steamed rice
5 PM: Homemade frozen green bar
7 PM: 8oz grilled mahi-mahi, grilled asparagus, roasted tomato, and a non-dairy Caesar salad
9 PM: BCAAs with magnesium/zinc supplement
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Chris Hemsworth’s Workout Plan
When it comes to the Chris Hemsworth workout plan — AKA the Thor workout routine — there’s good news and bad news.
The good news? As per Hemsworth’s personal trainer Luke Zocchi, he doesn’t exercise for more than an hour at a time.
The bad news? The intensity dial for said hour is cranked beyond 11. So don’t be surprised if you start wishing your existence wasn’t physically tangible midway through. Or throw up. We’ve all been there.
Luke Zocchi also notes that Chris Hemsworth’s workout routine revolves around functional exercises and traditional bodybuilding methods. Despite how jacked the man’s upper body looks, he stays quite agile; a necessary quality for someone who actively chooses to take on most of his own stunts.
“It’s very easy to go for the showy muscle but for Thor, I don’t want cosmetic muscle,” said Chris Hemsworth.
“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.”
“I now have a far greater range of motion and a stronger core. I do a lot more pull-ups and things like that, more high-intensity stuff and extra bodyweight moves.”
In addition to lifting heavy weights, your typical Chris Hemsworth workouts include the following:
- A lot of timed battle ropes
- Kettlebells
- Medicine ball throws
- Hanging raises
- High-resistance bungee stuff
- Timed bear crawls
- Mountain climbers
Here’s everything else we know about the Chris Hemsworth workout routine:
Weightlifting (General)
- Dumbbell Rows — 4 sets x 15 reps
- Dumbbell Bench Press — 4 sets x 15 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curl — 4 sets x 15 reps
- Dumbbell Bent-Over Rear Flys — 4 sets x 15 reps
- Barbell Shrug — 4 sets x 12 reps
- Barbell Wrist Curl — 3 sets x 20 reps
- Barbell Wrist Curl (reverse) — 3 sets x 20 reps
Bodyweight Circuit
- Pull-up — 3 sets x 15 reps
- Sit-up — 3 sets x 20 reps
- Push-up — 3 sets x 15 reps
- Burpees — 5 sets x 10 reps
- Tricep Dip — 4 sets x 10 reps
- Walking Lunge — 4 sets x 20 reps
- Standing Calf Raise — 3 sets x 20 reps
- Bodyweight Squat — 3 sets x 15 reps
- Front Box Jump — 3 sets x 10 reps
- Hollow Outs — 5 sets x 10 reps
- Sit-Through (timed)
- Plank w/ Leg Lift (timed)
Iron Circuit (Heavy)
- Barbell Squat — 3 sets x 15 reps
- Barbell Bench Press — 3 sets x 5 reps
- Standing Military Press — 3 sets x 8 reps
- Barbell Deadlift — 3 sets x 5 reps
- Hammer Strength Chest Press — 4 sets x 15 reps
- Hammer Curl — 3 sets x 5 reps
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Cardio
No one sincerely enjoys cardio, but it’s a necessary evil to achieve a low body-fat percentage and buy a one-way ticket to ShredTown. Unsurprisingly, Chris Hemsworth has a healthy respect for this component of his workout plan.
“I work in a cardio element into my weight training,” he told Men’s Health.
“I’ll work in a bunch of sprints on the bike or the treadmill and get amongst it. That, I find, gives you a more consistent increase in heart rate and fat-burning capacity.”
“I love the assault bike. Those things are savage. Especially on a Tabata time set-up, I find that’s great and I prefer that to running.”
Similar to Joe Rogan, he understands the value of martial arts and combat sports — boxing, Muay Thai, and wrestling have periodically found a place in his fitness regimen.
Never Skip Leg Day
Hemmsy has often been criticised for neglecting his lower body, which is accentuated to an almost-comical degree when compared to his impressive upper body.
Be sure to throw in the odd set of walking lunges, a leg extension or two, and some weighted squats. For a comprehensive guide to how to tackle leg day, check out our professionally vetted article.
There are no training secrets. Just consistency and inhuman effort. Who knows? With a little bit of both, perhaps you too will achieve Chris Hemsworth’s (upper) body.
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