Chris Hemsworth Updates: Chris Hemsworth was using what is called blood-flow restriction training to build strong, muscular arms. He did this by tightening an elastic band around his arm to build up lactic acid while lifting.
But Hemsworth’s coach said the actor was no longer doing it, and that it was “extremely painful”. Chris Hemsworth has stopped doing a muscle-building practice that he helped popularize earlier this year.
In September, Hemsworth posted a video on Instagram of him using a technique called blood flow restriction training to increase the muscle mass in his arms to play Thor. The technique, also used by athletes in the Tokyo Olympics, involved wrapping rubber bands around his arms before a weight-lifting session – typically dumbbell curls.
The device that was attached to his arm caused the veins to be more visible than usual. It’s well-known among trainers as a tactic to trap blood in the arm, causing lactic acid to build up, triggering the release of a growth hormone.
What Chris Hemsworth Shared About Blood Flow Restrictions?
Centr“By restricting blood flow and oxygen, muscles are forced to work harder in a shorter period of time, and a host of other ‘sports science’ things happen,” Hemsworth wrote in the caption. “It is honestly one of the most uncomfortable training methods I have ever experienced, but part of the puzzle is Thor’s arms growing like a racehorse’s legs.”
However, Centr’s coach and Hemsworth’s trainer, Luke Zocchi, said the actor has ditched the technique in recent months as he prepares for his new role in the upcoming action movie Prey 2. “He hasn’t been using the blood flow training for a little while now,” Zocchi told Insider. “The only side effect I know of is that it can be very painful at the time it is done.” I’m happy to say that they’re now focusing on other techniques.
Exercising to restrict blood flow is associated with pain and potentially greater risks
Using blood flow restrictions to build muscle and improve arm aesthetics can, as in Hemsworth’s case, cause potentially painful side effects, personal trainer Harry Smith previously told Insider’s, Rachel Hosie.
This increases the muscle’s capacity to handle more work, causing it to swell, which is quite painful. This technique should not be used by people with high blood pressure, varicose veins, or deep vein thrombosis.