Chris Hemsworth’s Secrets to Building the Body of a Hero

In the course of just one year Chris Hemsworth has appeared on the silver screen in a number of roles. We’ve seen him portraying lean sailor, tremendous god, and nimble hunter.  Based on the needs of his roles, he either had to quickly lose weight, or to add muscles.

The crucial factor in these achieving this was creating a diet plan which would allow him to train hard. Naturally, it’s also helpful to find a good trainer and nutritionist with the calibre of Luke Zocchi – a food and fitness guru – who guided Hemsworth in the process.

For his role in the move In The Heart of Sea, Hemsworth had to lose 30 pounds. In order to achieve this, he took on a low calorie diet packed in nutrients. The six-foot-three and 200 pounds actor consumed only 500 calories daily for the course of four weeks.

“It was lots of big vegetable soups and giant salads. You feel like it’s a large meal and you have a sense that you’re filling up,” he said. That was crucial in order to stick with the plan.

According to the actor, the greatest problem in his endeavour is that he constantly felt underfed. “The challenge is not physical but emotional,” said Hemsworth. However, Hemsworth was not alone in the ordeal. Other actors in the movie were taking the same diet, and only their mutual support got them through the process successfully.

“We were losing weight together—the bond we formed was incredible”, Hemsworth said. It reminded me of being on a football team growing up, where we’d do anything for each other.”

Hemsworth backed up his diet with daily drills of bodyweight exercises that helped him preserve his muscle mass.

Chris Hemsworth bodyweight workout

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)

Yet, when the time came to prepare for his role of Thor in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Hemsworth set out to restore his lost muscles and strengthen his arms by including heavy weights and isolation exercises.

In order to be sure that the workout is delivering efficient muscle growth, they slowed down the tempo of the lifts, thus increasing the time his muscles were under tension.

In other words, first he performed three sets consisting of 12 reps, in which he took three seconds to lower down the weight during the eccentric phase. Once these sets are over, he continues with a fourth set of 12 reps, with eight seconds in the eccentric part of the movement.

They applied the same principle for the shoulder press, bench press, standing bar curls, and skull crushers. Hemsworth’s workout routine also included various pull-ups on a bar or with rings, where he alternated between using underhand grip, overhand grip, mixed grip, wide grip and narrow grip.

Chris Hemsworth Weight Workout

Day 1 – Back

1. Pull-Up – 4 Sets of 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
2. Deadlift – 3 Sets 12, 10, 8 Reps – 30-second Rest
3. Hammer Strength Two-Arm Row – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
4. Dumbbell Row – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
5. Swiss Ball Hyperxtension – 4 Sets 25, 20, 15, 15 Reps – 30-second Rest

Day 2 – Chest

1. Barbell Bench Press – 4 Sets of 12 Reps – 60-second Rest
2. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
3. Hammer Strength Chest Press – 4 Sets 15 Reps – 30-second Rest
4. Weighted Dip – 4 Sets 10 Reps – 30-second Rest
5. Cable Fly – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest

Day 3 – Legs

1. Squat – 7 Sets 10, 8 ,6, 5, 4, 3, 3 Reps – 30-second Rest
2. Leg Press – 1 Set To Failure – 30-second Rest
3. Bodyweight Walking Lunge – 4 Sets 20 Reps – 30-second Rest
4. Single-Leg Curl – 3 Sets 20 Reps (Each Side) – 30-second Rest
5. Standing Calf Raise – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 30-second Rest

Day 4 – Shoulders

1. Military Press – 4 Sets of 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
2. Arnold Press – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
3. Barbell Shrug – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-second Rest
5. Dumbbell Front Raise – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-second Rest
6. Dumbbell Rear-Delt Fly – 3 Sets 15 Reps – 30-second Rest

Day 5 – Arms

1. Barbell Bicep Curl – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
2. Skull Crusher – 4 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
3. EZ-Bar Preacher Curl – 3 Sets 10 Reps – 30-second Rest
4. Dumbbell Lying Tricep Extension – 3 Sets 10 Reps – 30-second Rest
5. Dumbbell Hammer Curl – 3 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
6. Rope Pressdown – 3 Sets 12 Reps – 30-second Rest
7. Barbell Wrist Curl – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 30-second Rest
8. Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl – 3 Sets 20 Reps – 30-second Rest

Chris Hemsworth’s Diet

The diet was also flipped in line with the muscle gaining objective. While the nutritional density remained the same, it now included chicken and fish, as well as protein shakes on daily basis. Below there’s an example day of eating:

8 AM: Green power shake with protein
10 AM: 3 fried eggs on a slice of wholegrain toast with Vegemite and avocado
12PM: [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 and 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

When he’s not losing weight or gaining muscles for a role, Hemsworth prefers to maintain his body lean and quick.

His latest appearance was in The Huntsman: Winter’s War, which had its World Premiere on April 21 2016. Preparing for this role Hemsworth had to work on his athleticism, so he eliminated the smoothies from his diet, and cut out the isolation exercises. Instead, he focused on body-weight circuits, and doing tons of cardio.

One of his favourite cardio drills shadow boxing. He usually does 3-10 three minute rounds strapped with high-resistance bungees. Between each round he performs bear crawls for 30 seconds. Here is Chris Hemsforth’s cardio and boxing workout.

For sharpening his core, Hemsworth does 4 rounds the following circuit. Hanging from a bar he first lifts his knees to his chest for 15 times. Then he takes the knees 15 times to each side. Then he raises his knees to his chest holding for 30 seconds. Rest for 40 seconds. Repeat.

Chris Hemsworth core circuit

1. Hanging knee raises to chest – 15 reps
2. Hanging knee raises to sides – 15 times each side
3. Knees to chest – hold 30 seconds

Hemsworth is a keen surfer. His love for surfs took him to Byron Bay in south-eastern Australia where he recently moved with his wife Elsa Pataky, and their three children.

The temperature of the ocean of this surfer’s paradise is 74 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year, which allows him enough time for surfing.

Hemsworth usually surfs with His father and two brothers, Liam and Luke. This is their time not only for competing and showing off, but also time for family bonding.

“Sitting on our boards out in the ocean beyond where the waves break waiting for the next set, you can forget about everything,” he said. “It’s a great place to talk and have a laugh.”


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