Chris Hemsworth Workout
Chris Hemsworth is reprising his role as Thor in the upcoming sequel, Thor: The Dark World. This sure-to-be action-packed Marvel flick is due to hit theaters in November of 2013 but he’s training hardcore again right now.
While you’re waiting for Thor to make his second appearance on the big screen, I thought I’d offer up an intense Chris Hemsworth workout to get your biceps bulging and your six pack rock hard. What guy wouldn’t want a Thor-like physique?
Just like the first time around, Chris Hemsworth has had to put in a lot of time at the gym. Thor is a god among superheroes, after all. So the pressure’s been on to get into some killer shape.
How he does it…
So how does Chris Hemsworth do it? According to interviews with this budding Australian actor, he’s had to pack on about 20 pounds of muscle for his role as Thor. As many of you may know, that can be a daunting task.
Not surprisingly, Chris has reported that he has to eat all the time, constantly fueling his muscles to maintain the extra muscle mass. Diet really can’t be understated when it comes to this kind of weight lifting goal. Protein is your major focus, but all in all, you need a pretty continuous flow of calories to maintain the extra weight in muscle. So it’s important to eat healthy as well. Otherwise, all those extra calories might be turned into fat.
Diet really is half the battle. If you’re looking for a good diet plan for building muscle, check out my Best Muscle Building Diet.
Not surprisingly, the next thing Chris Hemsworth focuses on is the gym.
His main goal at the gym was packing on dense muscle mass that would really show on screen. Thor was a god, after all, and Chris needed to look like nothing less.
His trainer really focused on muscle variation. Changing things up on a regular basis is a great way to avoid complacency with your muscle and keep them responding to all your hard work. Chris’ trainer pushed him on a regular basis to change up the amount of weight, the number of reps, and the speed or tempo of his lifts.
For my own perspective on muscle confusion, including a number of methods for changing things up, read What is Muscle Confusion?
Chris also engaged in a number of compound exercises that incorporated both large and small muscle groups. This is where you get your big-impact results at the gym, by engaging in heavy lifting exercises. Here’s your 4-day Chris Hemsworth workout plan…
The Chris Hemsworth Workout Plan
For all exercises, you need to lift heavy. That means low reps at high weight (with the exception of abs), and try to get out between 4 and 6 sets for each exercise. This approach will produce some big results, guaranteed!
Day 1 – Chest & Triceps
- Decline Barbell Bench Press (view exercise)
- Triceps Cable Extension with Rope (view exercise)
- Flat Barbell Bench Press (view exercise)
- Incline Barbell Bench Press (view exercise)
- Dips (view exercise)
- Cable Pec Flyes (view exercise)
- Skull Crushers ( view exercise)
- 23 Minute Ultimate Treadmill Workout
Day 2 – Quads, Hamstrings & Glutes
- Leg Press (view exercise)
- Barbell Squat (view exercise)
- Deadlifts with Barbell (view exercise)
- Leg Curl Machine (view exercise)
- Walking Dumbbell Lunges (view exercise)
- 15 Minutes Jumping Rope
Day 3: Back, Biceps & Shoulders
- Barbell Shoulder Press (view exercise)
- Barbell Bicep Curls (view exercise)
- Dumbbell Rows (view exercise)
- Cable Hammer Curls (view exercise)
- Cable Seated Row (view exercise)
- Cable Lat Pulldown (view exercise)
- Seated Rear Deltoid Raise (view exercise)
- 20 Minutes Elliptical Trainer
Day 4: Abs & Core
- Ab Wheel Extension (view exercise)
- Hanging Leg Raise (view exercise)
- Ab Twists with Plate or Ball (view exercise)
- 30 second stability ball plank (view exercise)
- Back Extensions with Plate (view exercise)
- Oblique Side Bends with Dumbbells (view exercise)
- Ab Rollout on Stability Ball (view exercise)
- 23 Minute Ultimate Treadmill Workout
When it comes to planning your own Chris Hemsworth Thor workout, I recommend first starting off with reading my article Free Workout Routines for Men. I outline 3 muscle building workouts, from beginner to advanced, all with the goal of getting more ripped and are a great foundation to start off with before you jump into this workout. Of course you may also want to check out my previous ultra-popular Chris Hemsworth Thor Workout to add even more variation once you get bored of this one!
The third factor in Chris Hemsworth’s workout plan was rest. Given the intensity of his workout routines, it was critical that he allow his body and his muscles to recover. Remember, a lot of the gains you make are actually made during rest and recovery periods, when your muscles have the opportunity to repair themselves. So make sure you give your muscles a break, and rest any one muscle group for at least 48 hours between workouts.
To maximize muscle recovery, check out my list of effective Post Workout Recovery Supplements or if you want a full list for men check out the Top 10 Workout Supplements for Men.
Have any questions or feedback about this Chris Hemsworth Workout? Please leave a comment below…
First off this sounds awesome! The only problem is my gym doesn’t have a bench press that can decline and incline but my home gym does. However my home gym doesn’t have a cable machine. Do you have any ideas for alternatives for the cable pec flyes and triceps cable extension with ropes. Thanks!
Hi Donald, you can do flyes on the bench with dummbells and for Triceps you can do close grip bench press or close grip pushups!
Hi Sam. I’m about to finish my six weeks of the first Thor workout you posted, which has given me great results by the way, and was excited to see this follow up. I was just wondering what would be the best way to schedule the workout days throughout the week.
Awesome to hear you are getting good results. I would recommend having really large breakfast with lots of oatmeal and eggs. A whey protein supplement should also be cheaper long term as your snack option.
Hi Sam. What would be the best days to workout and best days to rest?
I personally have found 2 days in a row and 1 off is pretty good. I do however like to workout 6 days a week and on my off days I will sometimes do only cardio.