Why Smashing Yourself in the Gym Isn’t the Answer: Lessons from Chris Hemsworth on Smarter Training

Is your trainer training you to be fit & strong but with no regard for your joints? No consideration of short & long-term injuries?

You find your social media feeds full of ‘inspo’ of people smashing their bodies in the gym. This shoulder exercise with another shoulder exercise followed by 90 seconds of pushups…  A lot of it makes me cringe. 

Check out what Chris Hemsworth has said: “I’m a little kinder and gentler with myself when I go into the gym, I used to have the mentality that if I’m not crawling out of the gym, I haven’t worked hard enough, which isn’t necessary. I’m also listening to my body more, being patient with the process and not just smashing myself in every single session.”

To maintain a level of fitness, Hemsworth sticks to functional training rather than lifting too heavy, saying: “I lift a lot less now. After doing eight months of heavy weightlifting in preparation for a role like Thor, the body really screams for something else. You still want to be stressing the muscle, but you can do it in different ways that aren’t destroying your joints or overloading the muscle and causing injury.”

He now keeps to shorter, more intense workouts, prioritising 40-minute bodyweight circuits.

A bit of experience, age and medical data can influence the way you train. I would rather implement the correct protocols before problems arise.

Avatar for Machaela Dwyer

Machaela Dwyer

Owner at HUSTLE STREET Training Hawthorn