UNSURPRISINGLY, MAINTAINING A superhero physique isn’t easy – just ask Chris Hemsworth. The Australian actor puts in serious hours in the gym to look like Thor, but constant travel means he doesn’t always have access to a weights room.
His solution? Bodyweight workouts. Hemsworth recently shared a 1,000-rep, five-move session that requires zero equipment and can be done anywhere. So when I found myself gym-less but itching for a workout, I decided to give it a shot – although unlike Hemsworth, I wasn’t knocking it out on a sun-soaked yacht. My living room had to do.
The workout
1. Mountain Climber x 200 reps
2. Air Squat x 200 reps
3. Push-up x 200 reps
4. Flutter Kicks x 200 reps
5. Kick-through x 200 rep
Is it worth trying?
If you like pain and suffering caused by simply using your own bodyweight, then this is undoubtedly the workout for you. But a word of warning: don’t fall into the same trap I did and think this is going to be an easy session you’ll be able to rattle through. It isn’t, and you won’t.
Rather than completing the workout as part of a circuit, I did the 200 reps required for each movement before moving onto the next exercise. Big mistake. That decision meant I needed to take a lot more rest in-between each set in order to reduce the lactic acid in my working muscles, which invariably came back with a vengeance as soon as I tackled some more reps.
I also wanted to challenge myself by completing Hemsworth’s workout as quickly as possible. This meant cycling through the mountain climbers at rapid speed in just three gigantic sets. What I failed to legislate for, though, is how much this would elevate my heart rate and impact the rest of the exercises. Before I knew it I was on the back foot and fighting just to keep some semblance of pace up.
The 200 push-ups took the most time out of all the exercises. Not only were my arms tired from having to stabilise my body in the high plank position for the mountain climbers, but they were soon struggling just to bring my face away from the floor that soon started to seem like a more precarious opponent with each passing rep. 10 sets were required to stop it from feeling like my triceps or pecs were about to tear, while rest periods in-between became increasingly longer, too.
Bodyweight squats also feel never-ending by the 147th rep. What started off fairly straightforwardly soon turned sour, as my legs pushed the ground away with increasing lethargy. Mentally, it’s easy to buckle, but I just focused on maintaining strong form and slowing down the movement so that the fatigue would set in slightly slower.
From thereon in the finish line came into view. The flutter kicks came and went without any issues and in minimal sets, while the kick-throughs – a difficult move to master, but actually quite enjoyable once you find your rhythm – required significantly more effort by recruiting muscles throughout the body. Not only did I find my arms were exhausted by this point simply staying upright, but my core was on fire and moving my lead-like legs became increasingly challenging.
Regardless, I got the workout done, finishing in just over 30 minutes with a serious pump and some heavy breathing. If I choose to tackle this Hemsworth session again, then I’d probably opt for 10 rounds of 20 reps of each movement, to break things up a bit more.
How to do the movements
Mountain Climber
Assume a strong plank position, hands stacked directly below elbows and shoulders. Explosively bring on knee towards your chest and then back out, immediately repeat with the other leg. Keeping your back straight and hips low quickly alternate legs, aiming for a fast, controlled rhythm.
Air Squat
Standing tall with your chest up, sink your hips back, squatting down until the crease of your hips drops below your knees. Drive back up explosively and repeat. Keep a controlled tempo and tight form, but move at a heart rate spiking clip – you’ve got a ladder to climb.
Push-up
Drop into a strong plank position, with your core tight and hands stacked beneath your shoulders. Bend your elbows to slowly bring your chest to the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively, repeat.
Flutter Kicks
Lie facedown on a bench with your hips on the edge. Extend your legs off the back of the bench, squeeze your glutes and raise your legs until they are level with your hips. Lift your left leg higher than your right leg, then lower your left leg as you lift your right leg. Make sure that you keep a controlled movement at all times.
Kick-through
Crouch with your hands on the ground. Your heels should be raised, directly below your glutes, and your knees hovering above the floor. Raise your left foot and tense your abs, jumping your right foot to where your right hand is, lifting your right hand as you do so.
In a fluid movement, kick your left leg through the gap between your right foot and left hand, extending your leg as far as you can. Hold the extended position for a beat before reversing the move in the same order. Then repeat on the other side.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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