There are few better people than Chris Hemsworth to set the record straight on Hollywood’s expectations on actors ‘transforming’ for roles. He’s one of the lead roles in the multi-billion dollar Avengers and Thor franchises, a dominant force of nature in the gritty 2020 Netflix hit Extraction, and the man hand-picked to portray Hulk Hogan in a yet-to-be-named wrestling biopic.

The actor spoke to The Telegraph about his workout routine, claiming that his “bodybuilding” might cause people to take him less seriously.

The 37-year-old Australian actor admitted that he would be considered a ‘serious actor’ if he gained a ‘bunch of unhealthy weight’ or became ‘unhealthily skinny’ for a job.

“I’m probably the fittest and strongest I’ve been before all the Thors. Having this time at home meant I explored different methods, to see how I can manipulate my body with just the right amount of powerlifting and bodybuilding workouts.”

Hemsworth is well aware of the blunders he made while preparing for his role as the God of Thunder, which was released almost ten years ago in 2011. “For years I probably overtrained. People who do muscle-building often don’t realise it’s a sport that shouldn’t be seven days a week, two hours a day. I was doing that in the previous Thors, and was coming up sorer, with less energy.”

It’s not only a matter of a decade of physical strain. It’s a mental see-saw, too, especially when Hollywood films force actors into certain roles and steer them away from others. “There’s an aesthetic that the role requires. Bodybuilding is seen as vanity, whereas if I put on a bunch of unhealthy weight, or got unhealthily skinny for a role, I’d probably be called a serious actor,” Hemsworth explains.

“The training across 10 years of doing it is a full-time job. That and then a 12-hour shooting day — it’s a real grind. It’s incredibly rewarding, too — you have to look at it like a professional athlete.”

Chris also admitted that, as a result of spending more time at home during the pandemic, he is now the ‘fittest’ and ‘strongest’ he has ever been, despite years of ‘overtraining.’

The actor confessed that his morning workouts leave him ‘pretty stiff and sore,’ so he utilizes a chest freezer to loosen up his muscles.

“Chris has focused on functional moves with bodyweight and weighted exercises,” said Luke Zocchi, Hemsworth’s trainer and friend, in a separate interview with Men’s Health. “He has reduced his gym time by cutting out rest periods. It’s surprising how challenging functional exercises can be, even without heavy weights. He now moves better in everyday life and has improved his core strength.”

That isn’t to say Hemsworth isn’t having a good time in the gym. The 37-year-old Marvel superstar worked out with pal DJ Fisher in a recent Instagram video, hitting an upper-body session — complete with bicep curls and plenty of laughs, of course — as well as high-intensity bursts on a medicine ball and an assault bike.