Chris Hemsworth shares dumbbell workout to pack on upper body muscle

Want arms like Chris Hemsworth? This workout will help

Chris Hemsworth doing bicep curls with a pair of dumbbells
(Image credit: Centr)

Do you want your upper body to look defined in a t-shirt this summer? Now’s the time to start getting those gains and, luckily, Chris Hemsworth has just posted the perfect upper body workout to help you get them. After all, if anyone has a great upper body,  it’s him.

Sharing the workout via his Instagram, Chris said this workout is inspired by the new ‘Power Shred’ programme which has just launched on his wellness app, Centr. The new programme draws inspiration from the actor’s intense training for roles where he’s needed to have a leaner, more muscular physique, as well as strength. So, if it’s upper body definition you’re looking for, this workout can definitely help and all you need is a pair of dumbbells.

No upper body muscle will be left untouched as this workout hits your biceps, triceps, chest, back, and shoulders. It’s mostly made up of supersets to achieve greater muscle activation, which means more gains and strength. Plus, it helps pack more into your workout in a shorter amount of time. You will need an adjustable weight bench for one of the exercises, so you may want to save this for the gym, although we’ve popped an alternative below just in case you can't get there. Here’s Chris’ workout:

Superset 1

Complete four sets with a 60-second rest after each superset

  • Dumbbell Incline Chest Press/or incline chest press - 12 reps
  • Dumbbell Push-up - 10 reps

Superset 2

Complete four sets with a 60-second rest after each superset

  • Dumbbell Clean & Snatch - 10 reps each side 
  • Dumbbell Lat Raise - 12 reps

Superset 3

Complete three sets with a 60-second rest after each superset

  • Bicep Curl - 10 reps
  • Tricep Dumbbell Kickbacks - 10 reps each side

Finisher

Complete three rounds followed by a 30-second rest 

  • Slam Ball/or dumbbell woodchoppers if at home - 15 reps 

Fancy some more workouts like this one? We’ve got you covered! Here’s five of our other favourite Chris Hemsworth workouts for helping to build up more full-body muscle and strength. If you’re really pushed for time though, give this 20-minute full-body workout a go, it’s a HIIT-style workout lead by Chris’ personal trainer, Luke Zocchi, using just your bodyweight.  

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.