Luke Zocchi is a busy man. As well as helping Chris Hemsworth build a body everyone on the planet envies, Luke also writes cookbooks and trains thousands of people daily through his Centr App workouts. Plus, he is a regular go-to commentator on all things health and fitness on Australian commercial television.
Knowing all this, I was over the moon when he agreed to an interview where I pretty much interrogated him about how he trains, his favourite gym equipment/exercise, and how he would describe his relationship with Chris. And despite the fame, Luke's answer revealed a person who's not only a lovely, down-to-earth guy but also a keen fitness enthusiast such as myself.
It feels like I knew Luke even before this interview. When I reviewed the Centr app, I often saw his face cropping up on my phone screen; after all, Luke is the Head Trainer of the app, often featured on Centr promotional materials.
As a matter of fact, I came across Luke's name again just the other day when the new Centr Unlimited program was announced. This is a six-week no-equipment bodyweight workout program "to challenge and transform your body through a unique mix of exercise styles including HIIT, plyo, functional, pilates, MMA and bodyweight strength training".
Make sure you check that out right after you read through this Luke Zocchi interview.
1. What's the funniest workout story you have?
Luke Zocchi: A funny workout story? Well, one would certainly have to be when I somewhat randomly decided to swim a marathon with Ross Edgley... with no preparation at all. To all of our surprise I finished - 3.5 hours later that is!
2. What’s your favourite exercise and home gym equipment?
LZ: My favourite exercise would be a bear crawl as it gets my body going and can be used in so many different ways. My favourite piece of home gym equipment would be a set of dumbbells as they are also so versatile.
3. How often do you work out and how long is a session?
LZ: I would normally work out 4-5 times a week and a session would go for 40 minutes. I aim to train as efficiently as possible – at a high intensity – which brings down my time in the gym.
4. What do you think is the exercise that’s a good indicator of someone’s fitness? How do you measure yours?
LZ: I think a good indicator for general fitness is bodyweight exercises. You can fairly quickly and easily gauge someone on how many pull-ups, push-ups and squats they can do. As far as my own PB’s when it comes to strength... my PB per 5 reps on the squat is 140KG, deadlifts are 170KG and bench press is 115KG.
5. Do you think fitness will always be part of your life? Is there anything else you’re interested in doing?
LZ: Health and fitness will always be a part of my life. I’m a different person when I don’t train... physically but also mentally. It puts me in a positive mindset and I’m a happier person when I train regularly. I feel I will always be in the fitness space at some level because that’s my passion and I’m always interested in learning more.
6. How long have you been working with Chris Hemsworth? How long have you known him?
LZ: Chris and I met in primary school when I was 7 years old and have been friends now for 30 years now! I am currently working on my thirteenth film with him and I’m about to start my ninth year working with him.
7. How would you describe your relationship with Chris? Are you friends outside of work?
LZ: We are family... I have known him my whole life. We've grown up together, worked together, lived together, celebrated milestones together and been fortunate enough to travel the world together. Elsa and the kids are family also.
8. What have you got to say about that infamous IG photo of Chris and his son? Does he ever skip leg day?
LZ: I can honestly say he does not skip leg day. It was a bad angle. The guy has a big frame and his calf muscles are twice the size of mine... which I’m a little jealous about!
9. How about Bobby Hanton? Are you his PT too?
LZ: Bobby Hanton is a machine. He has a gymnastics background and he can do things that Chris and I have no chance of ever doing. I train with Bobby regularly and like to think I keep him motivated and push him to try harder and try new things.
10. Finally, what’s the secret to growing arms as big as Chris'?
LZ: The shape of Chris's arms is ridiculous. He's always had a great foundation but works very hard to shape and build them. The secret to getting big arms is regular training over a long period of time... there's no hidden secret or short-cuts I'm afraid.
Fancy arms as big as Thor's? Try this Chris Hemsworth workout. It won't turn you into the God of Big Arms overnight but it's a step in the right direction.
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