Chris Hemsworth's Ab Workout (Achieve Thunderous Thor Core)

James Cunningham, BSc, CPT
Published by James Cunningham, BSc, CPT | Staff Writer & Senior Coach
Last updated: February 19, 2024
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Chris Hemsworth is one of the most handsome and ripped Hollywood actors, known for his rigorous diet and fitness workout routine.

His go-to core workout, intense training sessions, and appropriate diet and supplementation ensure the best hypertrophy results.

Based on my observations and more than 20 hours of research, I found all the information necessary to get the abs Chris Hemsworth has.

My research led me to a Chris Hemsworth ab workout, diet, and supplementation plan.

Celebrity Stats/Career Highlights

  • Age: 39 years old (in 2023)
  • Height: 6 feet 3 inches (1.90 m)
  • Weight: 200 lbs (91 kg)
  • Waist: 33 inches
  • Chest: 48 inches

Ab Workout Routine

A person in the gym doing Chris Hemsworth's ab workout

To build and facilitate core strength and muscle, Chris Hemsworth used numerous different ab exercises targeting all planes of motion.

However, while doing this go-to core workout, he also performed regular upper and lower-body workout sessions to support hypertrophy for the remaining muscles of his body.

This means that Chris always takes a holistic training approach to his training regime since he believes that is the best way to get maximal results.

Here is the entire ab workout program Chris used to build core strength at his own pace and with an appropriate diet and supplementation plan:

  • Bicycle sit-ups, 10 reps
  • Bird dog, 10 reps
  • Alternating Supermans, 10 reps
  • Butterfly sit-ups, 10 reps
  • Scissor kicks, 10 reps
  • Crunches, 10 reps
  • Medicine ball crunches, 10 reps
  • Flutter kicks, 10 reps

All exercises hit a different part of your abdominal muscle fibers, ensuring the holistic development of your trunk.

The entire workout is performed in 5 sets, meaning each exercise totals 50 repetitions during the whole workout session.

Chris encourages everybody to perform exercises one after the other, with no rest in between, since that is proven to be the best for inducing hypertrophy and muscle-building effects.

You can rest for up to 60 seconds between the sets before you recover and start the following workout.

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Workout Principles

Chris Hemsworth working out in the gym

The main Chris Hemsworth workout principle is to do as many reps as possible and with as little rest in between as possible.

However, a study from the National Institute of Health (NIH) encourages people to take little rest between sets to recover and prepare for the next one [1].

The science-based approach from NIH is to rest no more than 90 seconds between the sets if your goal is hypertrophy [2].

From my experience as a personal trainer, I recommend that clients perform more than 4 sets, with each set consisting of 6 to 12 repetitions. This range is particularly effective for most exercises.

When it comes to core ab workouts, I often advise doing a higher number of repetitions. This is because core exercises are typically an accessory to the main lifting component of your overall training program.

It's important to note that core exercises should not be performed with maximal loads.

"A lot of people ask me how much Chris deadlifts and how much he squats [with regard to glute workouts]. We actually don't go super heavy with those movements, but we did do a lot of hip thrusts. We did a lot of work with different kinds of leg movers, like weighted curtsy lunges where you're isolating the glutes."

- Luke Zocchi, Certified Personal Trainer

Diet Plan

Close up shot of healthy foods

An appropriate diet and supplementation plan accompanied Chris Hemsworth's ab workout.

The whole diet plan combined high lean protein sources taken at the right time to take protein and carbohydrates to support the intense workouts needed to achieve such an incredibly-looking physique.

Here is an example diet plan Chris uses on one of his workout days:

  • 8 AM - Green power shake with high protein sources.
  • 10 AM - Bowl of yogurt with mixed fresh berries, honey, almonds, and chia seeds.
  • 12 PM - Lifting workout session.
  • 1 PM - Post-workout shake consisting of ice water, the richest protein vegetables, 1 gram of Vitamin C, and BCAAs.
  • 2:30 PM - 8 oz grilled chicken + crispy sweet potatoes + rocket salad with nuts, seeds, and salted apple.
  • 5:30 PM - 2 rice crackers with Vegemite + tuna + cherry tomatoes.
  • 7 PM - 8 oz white fish + grilled mushrooms and raw broccoli salad.
  • 9 PM - Half a small pawpaw/papaya + yogurt and berries + magnesium/zinc supplement.

A similar structure applies for the rest of the days in a week.

Diet / Nutrition Principles

A bunch of food with lean protein

Chris Hemsworth's ab workout's diet and nutrition principles include lean protein sources and moderate amounts of carbohydrates.

The plan should consist of high-protein foods for muscle growth such as chicken, tuna, and white fish, and carbohydrates like crispy sweet potatoes and different fruits.

Having enough sources of carbs at the optimal daily intake for weight reduction is a must to get the most out of your workouts and hit the super-compensation of glycogen.

This refills your muscle cells with glycogen stores needed to execute your workouts.

Supplements

Close up shot of a bunch of pills

Chris Hemstowrh uses multiple supplements to support his intense workout sessions and to experience maximal strength and hypertrophy benefits.

Some of those supplements include:

  • A mix of rice, hemp, and pea protein
  • A serving of BCAAs
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc

These supplements comprise the biggest portion of Hemstowrth's supplementation plan. However, he likes to add pre-workouts and creatine before his workouts.

Creatine is excellent for high-intensity sessions since creatine-phosphate is the quickest energy used to form ATP, adenosine triphosphate, or our body's energy currency.

Read our guide on the 5 best creatine supplements for 2023 to help you utilize your creatine-phosphate energy resources and have more energy for high-intensity exercises.

Quality pre-workouts are also excellent for getting you ramped up before the sessions, especially when you feel less energetic or tired from the previous workouts.

FAQs

Does Chris Hemsworth Workout Twice a Day?

No, Chris Hemsworth doesn't workout twice a day. Chris Hemsworth works out once daily to support his incredible-looking physique and support muscle hypertrophy.

Does Chris Hemsworth Train Abs?

Yes, Chris Hemsworth trains abs. Chris Hemsworth performs exercises such as bicycle sit-ups, bird dogs, alternating supermans, and butterfly sit-ups to support his ab development.

What Workout Does Chris Hemsworth Use?

Chris uses short-form intense workouts to hit each muscle group once a week. The whole program uses traditional compound exercises that aim to activate large muscle groups and produce the biggest muscle-building effects.

References:

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19691365/
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26605807/
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About The Author

Benedict Ang, CPT, PN1-NC
Benedict Ang, CPT, PN1-NC
Staff Writer & Senior Coach
Education: Republic Polytechnic
Lives in: Singapore
Learn more about our editorial policy

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