I haven’t seen Extraction, and I probably won’t see Extraction 2. But thank goodness for Netflix and its blank-check budgets; now that Chris Hemsworth is signed on to reprise his leading role, he’s back in the lab, transforming his frame from a jacked Norse god to a jacked black ops mercenary.
You may wonder — what’s the difference? Why does someone built like Hemsworth need to change anything at all? For one, fitness thrives on such tinkering. If the body gets too accustomed to the same workout scheme month after month, gains eventually plateau. Your muscles get comfortable and you get bored. That’s why Hemsworth, the founder of wellness platform Centr, has long championed offbeat workouts that “shock” the body.
But more specifically, the 38-year-old actor wants to be in a different sort of shape for the Extraction sequel. Instead of filling the screen with sheer mass (think: Thor’s shoulders), he’s aiming for the agility, speed and “cut” of a soldier. Hence his explanation in a recent Instagram post that he’s transitioning from heavy weight-training to functional bodyweight movements.
As you can see in the video above, Hemsworth only uses one piece of equipment in this nine-move, four-set circuit. He starts off by hitting the bag for a few minutes, then gets on the ground for a sequence of core exercises, “animal movements” (pioneered by his trainer buddy Da Rulk), and push-ups. Here’s the workout in full:
- Three minutes of freestyle boxing
- 50 air-squats
- 40 sit-thrus
- 20 reps apiece for five different core exercises
- 25 push ups
According to Hemsworth, you should perform the circuit a total of four times, with two minutes of rest in between each. This is by no means an easy workout, but it’s wildly efficient. You can perform it at the gym, in your living room, or on the beach. You can easily swap out the cardio boxing with a stairs run, or a few minutes on an erg. And you can get the whole workout done in less than a half hour.
For those either actively looking to get back into shape, or unsure how to perform some of these movements, I recommend studying Hemsworth’s video closely, and seeking out further guidance online. The hardest move to master here (in my opinion) are the sit-thrus. It’s an MMA-inspired move, and as full body/functional as it gets. Once you’ve practiced it, though, go ahead and rip this. You may not be on the front page of a streaming service any time soon, but you deserve to look and feel your absolute best.
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