Physique of a Thunder God

Thor (Marvel Comics’ newest superhero blockbuster) came out in cinemas nationwide this month. I’ve seen it and it’s pretty good, but I am a big fan of all the superhero movies. In case you’ve not seen it, or even the trailer, the Australian actor, Chris Hemsworth, plays the role of the Norse God of Thunder and his physique has caused a bit of a stir. You might recognise Chris Hemsworth from the 2009 movie ‘A Perfect Getaway’, or from the soap opera ‘Home & Away’. For this film, Chris Hemsworth packed on over 20 pounds of muscle and transformed from a ‘pretty boy’ surfer body, to a built for battle superhero physique. This transformation took 3 months and apparently involved 8 weeks of packing on weight (with a bodybuilding style routine), followed by 4 weeks stripping off fat (with high intensity circuit based workouts).

Three month transformation

The overall program appears pretty straightforward. It starts with all the basic movements you would expect in a muscle building program – squats, deadlifts, bench press, pull ups and dip. He apparently trained 5 days a week, following a 3 day split routine – changing the repetition range for each exercise each week to stimulate growth in different muscle fibres. He then switched to the “fat loss plan” for the final 4 weeks of training.

Thunder God body for mortals

Inspired by Chris Hemsworth’s transformation, I have written a “Thor Workout” – loosely based on his program structure, but designed for mortals and/or anyone not starting with a similar ‘pretty-boy surfer’ physique. Rather than an 8 week bulk-up phase followed by 4 weeks of fat loss, this is an intensive 6 week training program designed to build muscle and burn fat with the built in conditioning components.

If you have already been following my “Arms Like Arnie” program, then this 6 week plan is the perfect progression. With the Arnie Program, you will have built a solid base of strength and developed a good squat, deadlift, and bench press, while improving vital bodyweight movements. Finish the full 6 weeks of the Arnie program before starting this Thor Workout, as I have designed it as a progression from one to the next. You will need the base strength and conditioning from the Arnie Program to prepare yourself for this second 6 week phase. That said, if you’re a regular lifter and confident of your current fitness levels, then you can probably just jump right in.

…requires some Godlike determination

But be warned, to get that godlike physique you have to put the work in! This program is designed to shock your system. The training plan is based on ever-changing challenges and exercises – the weight you lift, the number of sets & reps and the speed of the movements change from day-to-day. No two workouts in the 6 week period are the same, but all the workouts are challenging. Your body will not get the chance to “adapt” to the training, so you’ll never plateau. The intensity increases week by week to ensure you are building quality muscle and shredding off the fat!

Tom

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