Chris Hemsworth may don abs of steel and have bulging biceps, but the mastermind behind his training regime is his personal trainer, Luke Zocchi, who's shared a bodyweight workout that will help not just develop base strength but build muscle too. You don't need any home gym equipment, just grab your workout shoes and set a timer for around 20 minutes.
"This workout is about learning the basic movements: push, pull, squat and hinge," says Luke. It uses compound exercises - movements that work multiple muscles in the body - which not only burn more calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness but also stimulate an increased hormone release (such as growth hormones), which will help you on your journey to get stronger and increase muscle mass.
Luke's bodyweight workout
Although this workout doesn't require any equipment, if you want to challenge yourself further you could incorporate a pair of resistance bands, or even a pair of dumbbells. You've got four exercises to work through and you're going to do each one for 12 to 15 reps, followed by a 30 to 60 seconds rest. You're aiming to complete three rounds in total. Make sure you warm up first, Luke suggests some jumping Jacks, side lunges and walkouts for 30 seconds each.
Workout:
- Push-ups (alternative: kneeling push-ups)
- Split squats
- Squats
- Good mornings
If you don't own any equipment, but you still want to make things more challenging, pop some items into a backpack and wear this for the last three exercises, or grab two large water bottles. For more quick workouts, check out this 15 minute bodyweight circuit, ideal for burning lots of calories whilst building base strength. If it's a dumbbell workout you're after, give this four-move workout, it combines cardiovascular exercises with muscle-strengthening movements.
