Chris Hemsworth's latest Instagram workout builds full-body strength with just one piece of equipment

Please don't do this at home unless you want to enter your neighbours greatly

Chris Hemsworth Functional Slam Workout
(Image credit: Chris Hemsworth)

Chris Hemsworth is back with another full-body workout, baby! Mr Thor's been busy churning out workouts on his IG channel much to the delight of many people, including me. this time around, Chris is swapping his dumbbells and barbells for a slam ball, a HIIT workout staple.

Chris titled his latest workout routine “Functional Slam Workout” and indeed, the short and sweet circuit looks intense enough to build functional muscle mass all the while helping you lose belly fat. The workout itself is not mind-blowingly complicated but this is exactly why it works.

For this workout, you'll need a so-called slam ball which is a type of medicine ball designed for – err – slamming. The slamming/swinging motion of slam ball workouts requires the coordination of multiple muscle groups hence why they are great for burning fat but also building muscle.

Needless to say, try not to perform this workout indoors, or at least not in your apartment/flat as it might disturb the neighbours. Visit a park or an area where there is a wall you can slam the ball into, If you have a garage that would work too. 

For more workouts, check out the Centr app, Chris' holistic workout app that I reviewed and enjoyed using before. Read the full Centr app review now. Or check out this Chris Hemsworth workout plan I concocted up a while ago. The best push up variations can also help you grow big arms if that's what you want.

How to do Chris Hemsworth's Functional Slam Workout?

To perform Chris's Functional Slam Workout, pick up your slam ball and stand close to the wall you're going to slam the ball into. Turn left, so the wall is to your right. Perform five right slams, then turn around (the wall should be on your left) and slam the ball into the wall facing this way another five times. Then, turn away from the wall and slam the ball down five times.

(Told you this isn't going to be an overly complicated workout.)

You're done with the slamming for now. Hold the ball in your hands in front of your chest and perform five front squats. Once done, drop the ball down and get into a push-up position with one of your hands resting on the ball the other on the ground. Do one push-up, then swap hands. Do ten push-ups this way (five with each hand).

Then, sit down on the ground and gold the ball in your hands in front of your hands once again. Do five sit-ups and as you come up, push the ball away from your chest over your head. Lower it back down to your chest as you return to the starting position. Finally, do five Russian twists on each side until you can feel your abs burning and you're out of breath.

Rest for 2 minutes.

Repeat four times!

More celebrity workouts!

Beach body season starts now and if you want to sculpt muscles, celebrity body transformations are always a good starting point (and source of inspiration).

for those who want to bulk up, I recommend checking out Dwayne The Rock Johnson's full-body workout; after all, he's a big lad. If you're over a certain age, Rio Ferdinand's over-40 workout might help you stay in shape for your golden years to come.

Speaking of bulking up: Arnold Schwarzenegger's Blueprint to Mass is still one of the best ways to pack on muscles (it's gruelling, mind). Henry Cavill is not small either and this Henry Cavill workout might be a good way to increase size. 

Finally, we can't forget Iron Mike: the Mike Tyson bodyweight workout is guaranteed to help you grow big but you'll have to do a lot of exercises to get there. You won't need much equipment, though.

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.