Try this five-move resistance band workout from Chris Hemsworth's trainer to build full-body muscle

Work your core and develop strength all over with this short, effective routine from Luke Zocchi

Chris Hemsworth working out with a resistance band
(Image credit: Centr)

If you've seen his recent Disney+ series, Limitless, you'll know that Chris Hemsworth works hard to stay on top of his health. But have you met the man responsible for the muscle? 

Luke Zocchi has been Hemsworth's trainer (and friend) for years, and is responsible for preparing him to play Marvel's favorite hammer-wielding hero, Thor. He's also an expert instructor on the Australian actor's fitness app, Centr.

If you want to sample some of his tried and tested training formula for yourself, you're in luck; Zocchi recently shared a minimalist workout he uses to build strength while on the go. All you'll need to give it a go is a long resistance band and somewhere secure to anchor it to (a tree or pillar will do the trick here).

The workout consists of just five moves, but still manages to work your biceps, triceps, chest, back, shoulders, quads, and hamstrings. 

Zocchi suggests completing 10 repetitions of each exercise (or 10 repetitions on each leg for the jumping lunges) as a circuit for seven rounds, resting 60 seconds between rounds. This should take about 35 minutes in total. 

Watch his demonstrations of each of the five exercises in the video below, then grab a hand towel and give this short yet effective session a try (you'll thank us for the heads up on the hand towel).

Watch Luke Zocchi's full-body resistance band workout

This workout is designed to be accessible; Zocchi managed to squeeze it in during in a quick mid-holiday break on the roof of his hotel. It's also been programmed for efficiency, targeting a total-body burn for maximum muscle-building and metabolism-boosting effects. 

By training this way, you can work out three times each week and still hit every major muscle group multiple times. Whereas, if you were only working one or two body parts each day (such as with this chest and back workout or a selection of core exercises) you would have to exercise more often to match this frequency. 

This is why full-body workouts are Zocchi's go-to way to stay in shape on vacation. His other top tip for a healthy holiday is to walk where possible when exploring, rather than taking cabs, to maximize your daily energy expenditure. 

When we spoke to Zocchi, he said the key is to use multi-muscle compound exercises to get the most from your training, even when you're short on time. That's the principle behind Chris Hemsworth's eight-move ab workout to build core strength.

There will be times when your body needs to recover, but that doesn't mean you have to stop exercising. Instead of physical strength, you can build mental strength in just 10 minutes with Hemsworth's guided meditation

Harry Bullmore
Fitness Writer

Harry Bullmore is a Fitness Writer for Fit&Well and its sister site Coach, covering accessible home workouts, strength training session, and yoga routines. He joined the team from Hearst, where he reviewed products for Men's Health, Women's Health, and Runner's World. He is passionate about the physical and mental benefits of exercise, and splits his time between weightlifting, CrossFit, and gymnastics, which he does to build strength, boost his wellbeing, and have fun.


Harry is a NCTJ-qualified journalist, and has written for Vice, Learning Disability Today, and The Argus, where he was a crime, politics, and sports reporter for several UK regional and national newspapers.