It’s been a week of hard pills to swallow for the team at DMARGE who have spent years covering all aspects of wellness, helping blokes work on their fitness, mental health, relationships and always boasted a particular soft spot for the ancient arts of bodybuilding and building muscle.

News that one of Chris Hemsworth’s strangest workouts is actually a fitness masterclass, however, might just be enough to turn our week around. Reviewed by Dr Mike Israetel over at Renaissance Periodisation, the acclaimed exercise scientist breaks down clips of Hemsworth’s workouts, pointing out their strong points and (very few) weaknesses.

Before we get into the slightly more leftfield elements of the workout that generated our hjeadine, it’s worth pointing out that much of Hemsworth’s plan revolves around highly effective, often bodyweight-focused movements that target much of his body at the same time. The prevalence of bear crawls that work the shoulders, core, and legs in one hit, along with weighted burpees — a widely respected if brutal movement — make up the majority of his regime.

Where things get interesting, and where Dr Mike’s characteristic humour comes into play, is in the discussion of Hemsworth’s less well known exercises. One of these is the use of an “S&M style” harness which adds an explosive, resistance element to the aforementioned bearcrawl. Dr Mike notes that the actual benefits of this particular bit of gear aren’t huge:

“It’s a lot of setup for a very small upside.”

Dr Mike Israetel

The incorporation of “breakdancing moves” is another aspect Dr Mike hones in on. He’s being facetious here; these aren’t actually breakdancing moves. Rather, they’re mobility and conditioning-focused floorwork that, if looked at the right way, have a funny resemblance to the dance style. Despite the jokes, Dr. Mike goes on to heap praise on these movements as not only adding an athletic flair to the routine but also enhancing coordination.

“This is like a warm-up you would do for Jiu-Jitsu, but you never get to the Jiu-Jitsu part.”

Dr Mike Israetel

Dr. Mike rates Hemsworth’s workout as “incredibly good-looking out of 10,” a nod to both the actor’s undeniably red-hot physical appearance and also the muscular results of the routine. While he suggests that traditional hypertrophy training might be more effective for those looking to bulk up fast, he says Hemsworth’s approach is a great way for “regular folks” to add a bit of superhero flair to their fitness.