14 DAY TRIAL // One of the strongest suits of the latest Marvel release, “Thor,” is Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, who plays the God of Thunder himself. Besides his blue eyes and blonde hair, the Aussie also impresses with his powerful voice and, last but not least, a body worthy of the god he’s playing.
As we also noted in our review of the film, Chris is a very strong and beautiful physical presence: it’s not just his well-defined muscles that draw the eye, but also the way he carries himself.
He’s big but he’s graceful at the same time.
Speaking with Men’s Health about having to pack no less than 20 pounds of muscle for the role, Hemsworth admits that the experience of weight training was new to him.
He’s always had a toned, ripped body, but he never really worked for it, in the sense of going to the gym and on a diet to get it.
Instead, he did lots of sports: surf, boxing, Australian Rules Football, and just about everything he could think of to stay active and have fun at the same time.
When he set out to get in “Thor” shape, Chris had 3 things to consider: food, rest and exercise. Making sure he aced the first one was his biggest challenge, he says, as odd as that may sound.
“I feel as if I’ve been busy, but all I’ve been doing is eating all day. Eating when you’re not hungry and taking in that amount of food is exhausting,” he says.
He ate lots of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and protein. He was also required to get enough rest and, of course, to put in the extra hours at the gym.
“Rest and exercise were equally as important. It wasn’t until Thor that I started lifting weights. It was all pretty new to me,” the actor says.
It might have been a new experience, but he certainly did a wonderful job. He also had a lot of help from personal trainers, who made sure they made him do exercises that pumped up his muscles without allowing them time to get adjusted to the routine.
“Even minor changes, such as swapping hand placement on a pullup, can stimulate muscles in new ways. In fact, mixing things up is important no matter what kind of muscle gain you’re looking for. When your usual workout starts to feel easier, it isn’t benefiting you as much as it once did,” Men’s Health writes.
Chris Hemsworth is now done with “Thor” but, in the eventuality he will reprise the role in a sequel (which is yet to be announced), he’s still going to the gym and eating right to make sure he doesn’t lose all the weight in muscle mass he’s gained so far.