Chris Hemsworth's Trainer Luke Zocchi Shares His Formula for Muscle
By now, trainer Luke Zocchi is used to men asking him the secret to getting as big as Thor. "Guys say to me, ‘I want Chris’s arms!’ And I laugh, because Chris is gifted,” says Hemsworth’s trainer and long-time friend, Luke Zocchi. “Before filming an Avengers movie, a costume lady measured him up and said, ‘How come your arms don’t look like his?’ I was, like, ‘I eat the same food! I do the same moves!’ Chris is just something else.”
Zocchi has seen Hemsworth through Thor-some bulk-ups and the 500kcal-a-day cut before In the Heart of the Sea. Though the actor is genetically lucky, that shouldn’t discourage you: Achieving your goals doesn’t have to involve hours in the gym.
Instead, Zocchi tasks the Avenger with slowing each rep to increase time under tension and focusing his mind on every muscle he engages. This protocol, known as attentional focus, can help to max out your gains, even if you don't have Thor-level genetics.
“You can get a really strong workout in 20 minutes if you train correctly with the right movements and intensity,” he says. But, like most people, that doesn’t mean he always follows his own advice.
“Even this week, I’ve been training twice a day and I’m probably doing more damage than good. In your head, it’s, like, ‘More work’s better!’ But in reality, it comes way more down to food. And rest.”
Zocchi's most recent plan is to experiment with plants. “We’ve never bulked up without animal protein, but that’s something I’d like to try,” he says. “For a previous Avengers movie, for three months Chris had a fillet steak, three boiled eggs and 100g of blueberries for breakfast.”
Which illustrates another Zocchi principle: Keep it simple and focus on good ingredients. “I can relate to guys when it comes to food. I’m not a chef. I just want to do what needs to be done,” he says. “If I see a recipe with more than 10 ingredients, forget it.”
Behind all the smoke and vanity mirrors of Tinseltown, it’s heartening to know that simple movements and meals, done well, still form the foundations of blockbuster success.
Zocchi's Extra Norsepower Workout
Sweat through Zocchi’s effective, 20-minute home bodyweight workout. Complete the tri-set back to back, rest and then go all in again for six rounds.
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