Chris Hemsworth's trainer reveals surprising secret behind his abs

Chris Hemsworth's gruelling workouts help him become character's like Marvel's Thor. Photo: Marvel
Chris Hemsworth's gruelling workouts help him become character's like Marvel's Thor. Photo: Marvel

I have good news for anyone who may or may not have indulged in a very specific daydream about Aussie actor, Chris Hemsworth.

He can definitely save you from a burning building and probably get your kitten out of the tree while he does it.

The fitness-focused actor gets his rippling muscles by following a first responder’s training regime built for firefighters, soldiers and police, so he’s pretty much a fireman, you’re welcome.

Speaking to Yahoo Lifestyle ahead of a training day with Turtle Beach Gaming Headsets in Australia, the actor’s personal trainer Da Rulk, gave us the skinny on how Chris stays so solid and how he advises us mere mortals approach our own fitness goals.

Da Rulk is Chris' personal trainer, and developed one of the actor's fitness app's programs. Photo: Instagram/da_rulk
Da Rulk is Chris' personal trainer, and developed one of the actor's fitness app's programs. Photo: Instagram/da_rulk

He says when it comes to training like the Aussie heartthrob, you might want to focus on a slightly more personal-level goal.

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“Everything Chris does is a bit on another level, just because not only is he physically gifted but he also works incredibly hard,” the ex-military expert admits.

“Chris’s training depends on the role. Every role is different, for every character he has to look a certain way and the training impacts that.”

What you can do to go full Thor

Chris' body is only a by-product of a holistic fitness approach says Da Rulk. Photo: Instagram/chrishemsworth
Chris' body is only a by-product of a holistic fitness approach says Da Rulk. Photo: Instagram/chrishemsworth

The trainer advises any fans wanting to get a body like Thor to try and shift your goals from the abs, to the process of getting there.

Yep, I hate to write it but it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

“Everyone is looking at Chris and thinking ‘I want that’,” the trainer explains.

“I think it’s better to focus less on that and more on what you can do to be stronger and whether you can do more than you believe is possible.”

Da Rulk has developed a unique exercise program that draw on firt responder training. Photo: Instagram/da_rulk
Da Rulk has developed a unique exercise program that draws on first responder training. Photo: Instagram/da_rulk

It’s language that harks back to the first responder ethos at the heart of the program which he steps me through.

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To be honest, it sounds more like a crash course for secret agents than an exercise regime, but anyone who has seen Chris Hemsworth’s impressive regime all over Instagram will hang in knowing it gets results.

Da Rulk explains a detailed process that is all about responding and training our body’s knee-jerk reactions.

He says the first step is processing our surroundings, then ‘motor-planning’, what he describes as planning or mapping out the way your body responds.

His sensory training techniques mimic real-life first responder situations – showing how important sound, and other sensory responses, are to performance, even for a guy like Chris.

The muscles and abs come in almost secondarily with the execution of the skills he teaches at that base level.

“Getting ripped and getting strong are by-products,” he says.

No shortcut

Chris's workout is Photo:" Instagram/chrishemsworth
Chris's workout is Photo:" Instagram/chrishemsworth

Sadly, he says there is no secret potion the actor drinks to get his incredible response, but just good old hard work the trainer says mostly boils down the way he and his famously handsome brothers were raised.

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“You’d be amazed by with Chris is his work ethic and I think that’s just how he was brought up,” Da Rulk says.

“He didn’t get to where he was just being lazy, without struggling and putting in hard work. It’s not immediate gratification.”

Now outlining the program on Hemsworth’s fitness app Centrefitness, the trainer is practically beaming at the possibility of bringing the holistic approach to everyone.

“The more efficient we are to adapting to situations, the stronger we are,” he says.

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