What happens when you train like Chris Hemsworth for 10 weeks?
YouTuber Erik Conover may have a slight obsession with Chris Hemsworth. Not only has he worked out and eaten like Chris Hemsworth for 30 days, but the guy actually got the chance to train with the actor, too.
For his latest Hemsworth-inspired video, Conover got the opportunity to link up with Hemsworth's trainer, Luke Zocchi, to prep him for 10 straight weeks of workouts using the same Centr Power program the actor and his team used leading up to Thor: Love and Thunder—and the results were worthy of a mythic hero.
Before he starts, Conover weighs in. He's starting out at 202 pounds, with 16.8 percent body fat, and his base caloric rate (the number of calories he needs to maintain his current weight) is 2,016 calories. For the new program, will be eating close to double that. The 10-week workout he will be doing is broken down into three-week chunks, with a de-load/decompression week, with lots of muscle-focused bodybuilding splits. The program also has five key principles:
Compound movements
Volume
Intensity
Rest & Recovery
Training to Failure
Conover notes his first workout was "pretty demoralizing". After 30 days, he discusses the challenges of being consistent and lifting heavy while traveling. He does note that he is starting "to see the arms come back in, and that baseline level of strength is returning. Very close to where I used to be."
As for his diet, he's focused on lean muscle and eating nearly 4,000 calories a day, with meals filled with lean proteins, healthy carbs, healthy fats and lots of veggies.
By Day 45, he gives another check-in, including an update on his weight: he is now at 217, a 15-pound increase. His strength has increased three-fold, pulling 3 plates at a time, around 315 pounds. And his pullup game has gone from being able to do just 4 to around 15. And on bent rows, he started with 55-pound kettle bells. Now he's up to 97-pound kettle bells.
At the end of the challenge, Day 70, Conover says "I can confidently say that I am the strongest I've been in my entire life."
