We're used to actors taking on intense workout regimes to get in shape for their superhero roles, but between outings as Thor, Chris Hemsworth focuses on exercises to build a body that's ready for the rigors of everyday life.
If you want to do the same, then why not try this 10-minute routine from Luke Zocchi, his trusted trainer for the last decade? It uses just eight moves and a single resistance band to strengthen all of your core muscles.
"Having a strong core is really the foundation of [physical] health, and it can be used in so many different ways... but I think it gets overlooked a lot," Zocchi explains. "Everyone wants abs, and people think of core workouts as just doing crunches, but you use your core in everything you do.
"When you lift weights, they're needed for stabilizing your body. But even just for general stuff like having better posture and being functionally strong, your core’s always engaged and in-use all the time."
How to do Luke Zocchi's core workout
Perform the four moves listed below one after the other as a circuit. Complete 10 repetitions on either side of your body for each exercise, resting as little as possible between them.
Then, once you've finished all of four moves, rest for 60 seconds before repeating this sequence. Continue this until you've completed three rounds. If you're new to these exercises, you can practice the technique using Zocchi's demonstrations.
- Wood chop (left arm then right arm)
- Half-kneeling wood chop (left arm then right arm)
- Bear row (left arm then right arm)
- Side plank + thread-the-needle (left arm then right arm)
Watch Luke Zocchi's resistance band core workout
This routine is part of a 28-day core program run by Hemsworth and Zocchi's fitness app, Centr. Each day there is a new, short and progressively more difficult core routine to tackle, with members facing the challenge of completing the full four weeks.
This develops a strong midsection, and may also help you reach your goals sustainably. "When I work on a film set, I get so many people come up to me and go, ‘Awh, I need to get fit but I just don’t have the time’," Zocchi says.
"So I tell people, 'Why don’t you just start with five or 10 minutes a day, three times a week?'. Just get some consistency, then commit. Everyone’s super busy, but are you telling me you don’t have five minutes to put aside to get started?
He's also a fan of multi-muscle exercises to develop lean muscle when you're tigh to time. As these work several areas of your body, it's a more efficient way to train than isolation exercises like biceps curls.
When you're really short on time, though, even a 20 or 30-minute session can seem like a big ask. But some movement is better than none, which is why these five-minute workouts are a great way to develop strength in a pinch.
