Ever found yourself gawking at Chris Hemsworth’s god-like physique in the Marvel films, especially as Thor? You’re not alone. Ask around the gym, and you’ll hear “Chris Hemsworth” as one of the top names when it comes to fitness goals.
Well, it’s time to meet the man behind those chiselled biceps and ripped abs: Hemsworth’s personal trainer, Luke Zocchi.
An amateur boxer-turned-PT-to-the-stars, Zocchi has been Hemsworth’s friend since childhood and has kept the Aussie actor in peak shape for over six years.
Zocchi shares, “I was working at a gym in Melbourne when Chris first asked me to train him in LA,”. For Zocchi, there’s no magic secret to achieving Hemsworth’s body.
It’s about training hard, eating right, and staying consistent. “The biggest thing with getting results is being consistent. Consistency is key,” he emphasises.
Recently, Zocchi, whom Chris calls ‘the best trainer in the world,’ revealed how anyone can attain a Hollywood body, regardless of their fitness level.
1. Bodyweight Exercise
You might think the secret to peak fitness is lifting weights, swinging kettlebells, and using pricey equipment. But Luke insists that motivation and bodyweight exercises are all you need.
“I designed the workouts to be as accessible as possible,” he explains. His routines include bear crawls, burpees, lunges, and crunches.
“The best exercise for all-body fat loss is bear crawls,” he notes. “They’re low impact, but work the entire body.
Exercising first thing in the morning is also a great way of encouraging your body to burn fat more efficiently.”
Zocchi stresses that you don’t need expensive gym equipment to get fit. Embrace bodyweight training with exercises like bear crawls and lunges.
2. Twenty Minutes Is All You Need
Zocchi also debunks the myth that you need long, grueling workouts to see results. According to him, as little as 20 minutes a day can help you achieve that Hollywood physique.
“If you commit to training just three times a week for 20 minutes, you will slowly see results,” he advises.
Zocchi supports the ‘train smart, not hard’ approach, suggesting that shorter, focused workouts can be more effective.
3. Choose Wholefoods
Many believe that counting kilojoules is the key to being lean and fit, but Zocchi disagrees. Instead, he advocates for wholefoods.
“My recipes are based on eating good meals made from wholefoods, with options for workout days and non-workout days,” he explains.
On workout days, you might eat more carbs, while on non-workout days, you should focus on protein-rich meals.
“Depending on what we are trying to achieve with a client, it could be three meals a day or even up to six or seven small meals,” he says.
A balanced, healthy day might include a vegetable omelette for breakfast, a roasted veggie salad for lunch, and grilled fish with rice and salad for dinner.
“A small amount of dark chocolate to finish is fine, provided you make well-informed choices and create balance and enjoyment with what you eat daily,” Zocchi adds.
4. Embrace Weights
While bodyweight exercises are crucial, Zocchi also recommends incorporating weights into your routine to sculpt a physique like Hemsworth’s.
He suggests picking up weights at least twice a week and ensuring your diet is rich in protein.
“A major part of successfully changing your lifestyle is overcoming old habits,” Zocchi writes in his book.
“Breaking unhealthy eating habits is not an easy thing to do – it will test you mentally and physically.”
He highlights that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, after which unhealthy cravings start to diminish.
Train Like Chris Hemsworth
Bodyweight exercises are central to Hemsworth’s training. Luke recommends at least three 20-minute workouts each week, and up to six for quicker results.
How To Do It
Complete this circuit five times, doing each exercise for the specified time according to your fitness level.
- Beginner: Work 20 secs/rest 40 secs
- Intermediate: Work 30 secs/rest 30 secs
- Advanced: Work 40 secs/rest 20 secs
Jumping Squats: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, look forward, keep your chest up, and jump.
Crunches: Lie flat on your back, knees bent, fingers on temples, and lift your chest using your abs.
Jumping Jacks: Feet together, arms by your sides, jump feet out and raise arms above head.
Bear Crawls: On all fours, lift knees, crawl forward four steps, then backward four steps.
“Chris loves bear crawls. This is a really good full-body exercise and we include it in every session as part of his warm-up and workout,” reveals Luke.
To dive deeper into Luke Zocchi’s fitness and nutrition insights, check out his book, The A-List Diet and Fitness Plan, available now.