Fitness
Fitness
How to train like Thor: hybrid training tricks from Hollywood’s superhero
The personal trainer behind Chris Hemsworth shares the workouts, nutrition strategies and mindset that helped build one of the universe’s most powerful heroes.
Luke Zocchi knows what it takes to build a superhero. For more than 13 years, he’s been the personal trainer to Chris Hemsworth - the actor best known for portraying Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The two grew up together as childhood friends in Australia, and today, Zocchi ensures Hemsworth stays in godlike shape whenever the cameras start rolling. From designing workouts to fine-tuning meal plans, he’s the behind-the-scenes expert ensuring one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes always looks the part.
In 2019, Hemsworth founded Centr, a fitness and wellness app that Zocchi - who was brought in to share his world-class HIIT, HIRT and strength training - described as an “encyclopedia of health and fitness.” Centr, which offers programmes for everyone from beginners to experts, partnered with HYROX in 2023. By 2025, this Avengers-style collaboration helped Zocchi hit a new personal best at the London HYROX event.
Luke Zocchi is the brains behind Thor's godlike phsique
© Evan Pater/The Red Bulletin
What were the biggest fitness challenges you faced getting Chris Hemsworth ready to play Thor, and how did you build his workouts?
It’s evolved over the years. When I started working with him after Thor 2 [Thor: The Dark World], he could get big, but he didn’t feel that functional because he likes to surf and stay active. Since he’s played the role so many times, it’s like muscle memory - he can put size on quickly - but I wanted to keep elements of training that supported movement. So, we’d mix in boxing, bear crawls and functional movement work alongside heavy weightlifting.
Training for muscle growth often means a big jump in calories. How do you approach this with Chris?
On the film Thor: Love and Thunder, we aimed for about 4,500 calories a day. As soon as he got into hair and makeup at 5am., I’d run him a 450-calorie meal. Then every two to three hours, I’d bring another. The goal was 10 meals of 450 calories each day. He wouldn’t always hit 10 - sometimes he’d be like, “I’m so sick of food.” At that point, I’d give him a shake with 500–600 calories. Chris prefers a higher protein ratio, so those meals were roughly 40 percent protein, 30 percent carbs and 30 percent fat.
Everyone should be working to be the best version of themselves
Does your long-standing relationship with Chris make training him easier?
I think it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we know each other well, and I know what motivates him. But I’ve also had to find ways to challenge him differently. He’s supercompetitive. I’ll just say, “You don’t have to do it, but I’m going to do it.” Take pull-ups - I’ll do 10 or 15 and within a minute, he’s doing more than me. That competitiveness pushes him.
How do you achieve Chris’s iconic Marvel physique in a healthy, sustainable way?
I don’t want to take anything away from how hard Chris works, but he’s naturally got a great base to build on. My philosophy is: everyone should be working to be the best version of themselves, getting stronger and healthier.
Lucy Procter hones her rowing technique
© Jake Turney/Red Bull Content Pool
Your training style for Chris is known for being efficient. What strategies help you get the best results in less time?
It comes down to structure and exercise selection. We won’t train longer than an hour, but it’s an intense hour. I focus on compound movements and supersets, reverse engineering the session based on the outcome I want, and cutting out the fluff.
You’ve said consistency, sleep, nutrition and stress are all key. How do you adjust those areas for clients with busy schedules?
The guys on Instagram saying “I’m up at 4am every day, smashing emails and workouts” are just burning the candle at both ends. For most people, it’s about quality, not quantity. If a program says train six days a week but three of those sessions are useless, you’d be better off taking a day to recover.
[HYROX is] a great community - everyone’s cheering each other on and just trying to get the best out of themselves
Centr moves in phases from home to gym, beginner to advanced. How do you help people choose the right starting point and progress safely?
The advanced programming is basically what I do with Chris for Thor. Within the app, the programme overview gives you a clear sense of where you’re at. If you’re a beginner who’s never lifted weights, we’ll guide you step-by-step, whether you’ve got access to a gym or not.
What excites you most about HYROX?
It’s a great community - everyone’s cheering each other on and just trying to get the best out of themselves. For people who already train, it’s a good way to test your fitness. If you like running and lifting, it’s a fun challenge to see where you’re at. Personally, signing up for a race gives me a date to work toward, which gets more out of my training sessions.
Jake Dearden masters the farmer's carry
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
For someone gearing up for their first HYROX with limited time, what’s your number-one recommendation?
Don’t get too caught up on the ergs - they’re only two events. The mistake I made my first time was focusing too much on them. In the race, you’re doing runs after heavy leg work. So, get strong legs and get comfortable with compromised running. Even just building a baseline of running will help massively. Following some kind of structured programme - even a basic one - will always be better than winging it.
More inspiration for your HYROX journey
If someone wants to “train like they race” today, what’s the one change in mindset or training tip you’d give them?
Go in knowing your game plan won’t play out perfectly. You’re always going to get challenged at some point. Build that mental toughness and embrace it - that’s the beauty of racing.
Find out more
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