Chris Hemsworth Admits Getting Into Shape For ‘Thor’ Is Physically Harder Now That He Is Older

Since 2011, Chris Hemsworth has been a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Norse god Thor. Whether it was in his own solo movies or as part of the Avengers films, Hemsworth has been able to embody the character, both physically and mentally. However, according to a new interview with the actor, it seems that the older he gets, the more difficult it becomes to get in shape to play Thor as part of the MCU.

As the Daily Mail reported, Chris Hemsworth has apparently admitted that now that he is six years older, filming on the latest Thor movie has actually been much more difficult on him physically. While the actor may still look as toned and physically fit as ever, this does not mean it does not come at a cost. In fact, the reality is that even prepping for the role this time around was a bit more difficult, even as his past training did help in terms of things like muscle memory.

In his new interview with Men’s Health, Chris Hemsworth explained that this time around, it was his joints that actually took a beating. Luckily for Hemsworth, while doing filming with his Avengers co-star, Robert Downey Jr., the two would work out together and the latter actually introduced the Thor actor to yoga.

Chris Hemsworth explained that the thing he noticed while preparing for Thor: Ragnarok was that his “joints and other bits take a beating.” He said that he started to realize that there would be things he would lift up that never hurt before, but this time around he could feel it in ways he hadn’t in the past.

While Hemsworth may have struggled a bit during his preparation to get in shape, he shared that his previous rounds of intense training for the earlier Avengers and Thor movies did give him an advantage. The actor said that it was all about “muscle memory” while he was doing his training.

According to Chris Hemsworth in the beginning, when he first started the training to become the MCU’s Thor, he had to eat and work out a lot. Now, it is actually easier for him to switch gears and prep for the role because he already knows what the routine is, and what things actually work. Things have also changed enough that he does not have to eat quite as much meat as he did when he first started getting into Thor shape. Since he no longer has to eat as much meat in order to get his muscles and body to have the cosmetic look of the character, he has been able to cut back a bit and still achieve the same overall results.

Although he may be pushing himself to his limits, this is not a deterrent for Chris Hemsworth, because as he explained, his form of meditation is “anything where you’re completely involved physically, pushing yourself to that point where you can’t think about anything because it’s all your physical response.” While it may be harder to get in shape as he gets older, this does not mean he is not giving it his all when he steps into the gym, goes surfing, or participates in any other physical activities.

Audiences will get to see just how much work the actor put into training, since Chris Hemsworth will be back in action on the big screen as Thor in his latest solo adventure. Thor: Ragnarok premieres in theaters on November 3.

#ThorRagnarok pic.twitter.com/qPwXHymMfh

— Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) July 27, 2017

[Featured Image by Dan Istitene/Getty Images]