A Greek God physique is defined as having a balanced, lean, and athletic physique, one that has well defined shoulders and arms, lean legs, abs, and a broad chest/back.
To develop a Greek God physique, you need to train hard 4+ days a week in a variety of rep ranges, eat protein and a balanced diet, and train with hard intensity and focus.
In this article we will discuss exactly what you should do to build a Greek God physique, what muscles to target, and how to integrate advanced training techniques to maximize your workouts.
Additionally, we will provide you with a 5-day Greek God Physique program and supplement and diet recommendations to get you started on your journey.
If you are looking for a more personalized approach to fitness, let Fitbod build you a custom program that takes into account your training preferences and logged workout data.
What Is A “Greek God” Physique?
Similar to the men in Hollywood movies, like 300, or most superheroes, the Greek God physique is known for the lean, muscular, and balanced build, with no one muscle group being disproportionate compared with others.
It’s important to note: while some people and websites try to confine how big the arms should be (measurements) to the legs or waist, a Greek God physique is about symmetry, and muscle balance.
Someone who is 5’10” can have a Greek God physique at 180lbs, while someone who is 6’3” and 220lbs can also have a Greek God physique.
The point here is that there is no magic circumference/body measurement for the Greek God build, but rather an overall general aesthetic of muscular balance and symmetry.
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Who Should Do The Greek God Physique Program?
There is no clear situation in which someone SHOULD do the Greek God Physique program, but rather IF someone wants to look a certain way then this is the program for them.
Below are a few reasons why someone may want to choose to do the Greek God Physique Program:
If you are looking for a lean, muscular, and athletic build
If you are after these goals, then this program may be exactly what you are looking for.
The Greek God Physique program developed all the muscles of the body, in a way that helps to strike balance and muscular symmetry, yet still have pronounced features like big arms, broad shoulders, defined legs, and an athletic waist.
Not to mention, this program includes rotational core training and HIIT training, which helps to increase overall fitness and explosiveness.
If you want a program that delivers both compound movements, and exercises to improve aesthetic
If you are someone who wants to train compound exercises, such as the deadlift, bench press, and squat, then you could just do those things and build strength.
If, however, you are also after a certain aesthetic, such as looking like a Greek God, you may want to also include some single joint, machine and free weight exercises that can be used to isolate certain muscle groups for aesthetics.
For example, if you want leaner, muscular quads, you may need to include lunges or leg presses into programs in addition to back squats to make sure to better isolate the quads in the lower body training sessions.
If you want a program that allows you to train to develop strength, but also get more defined
If you are someone who wants to build general strength while also looking like a Greek God, this program is it.
In this program, you train the main barbell strength lifts (squat, bench, and deadlift) in the 6-8 rep range. While this is not super super heavy loading, it can help to increase general strength, while still allowing you to train in enough volume to get more muscular growth.
You could also adapt this program in later phases by performing the main barbell strength movements in the 3-5 rep range, and be more heavily focused on building strength in those exercises.
How Realistic Is It To Get A Greek God Physique?
Achieving a Greek God physique is achievable, however it takes hard training, proper diet, and consistent effort for months on end, sometimes longer depending on what level of fitness you are starting at.
While the cold hard truth is that it is not easy, this should not deter you from putting your best effort into achieving your goal.
After 12 weeks of hard training (following a consistent program) and being dedicated to dieting and meal planning, we are confident that you will see significant results.
These results will vary based on your individual starting points, however you WILL have more of a Greek God physique in 12 weeks than when you started.
Key Exercises To Focus On When Building A Greek God Physique & Why
Legs
The legs are composed of three main muscle groups: the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Generally speaking, you’ll want to train heavier compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, and Romanian deadlifts to develop strength and muscle mass.
From there, you can focus on machines like leg presses, hamstring curls, and leg extensions to train the leg muscles in high volumes and with high intensity (and save the lower back).
Lastly, including sprinting and rowing (conditioning) can help you build leg power and stamina, without losing muscle as long as you train in short and intense bursts.
Chest
Developing a broad, well defined chest is also important in developing the Greek God aesthetic.
Movements like incline presses can help to develop the upper pec, whereas flat bench press, dips, and chest flyes can be done to develop a wider chest and more definition in the lower pecs.
Shoulders
Broad shoulders and wide delts not only provide a larger v-taper, they can help draw attention to the upper body as a whole, mainly the delts and arms (two key muscle groups for developing the Greek God physique).
When looking to train the shoulders, start with a heavy compound exercise like military presses or dumbbell shoulder presses to build strength and muscle.
Next, you’ll want to train the deltoids in a more isolated manner, to develop the heads of the droid (front, lateral, and rear delt).
Lateral raises done with cables or dumbbells can be done to increase the width of the shoulders (lateral delt), whereas movement like the face pull can be done to develop the rear delts.
The front delts often get enough training volume indirectly as they are used during both overhead pressing and bench press movements.
Back
A well developed back is both wide and thick.
Back width is developed with pull ups and lat pulldowns, whereas thickness is developed with rowing movements. Back thickness refers to the visual separation of the back muscles (sides of the lats, with the spine running down the middle).
Machine and cable rows are great movements to use here, as you can train the back muscles from a variety of angles and in high volumes and with control.
This is why pull ups are generally not feasible for most beginners and intermediate lifters (and even some larger, more advanced lifters) as doing high volume pull ups as a 220lbs individual is much harder than someone who weighs 160lbs.
For this reason, machines, cables, and free weights are all great for optimal back development.
Arms
Building well-defined, muscular arms is key for the Greek God physique.
To build bigger arms, you need to train them directly, and with both heavy loading and high intensities (often in different sessions). Single joint movements work best here, as you are able to target the biceps and triceps directly, and get massive muscle pumps.
Dumbbell, cable, and machine curls come in many options, and can be done to develop the biceps.
The triceps should be trained with a variety of pushdowns, overhead extensions, and compound movements (presses) to develop all three heads of the triceps (inner, medial, and lateral heads).
Abs and Obliques
While the majority of your success in the quest for defined abs and obliques will come from your diet, you will want to train the muscles to develop the muscles and increase the size of the abdominals.
Increasing the muscle size will improve definition, and provide you with the lean, muscle abdominal look, rather than just a skinny waist without definition.
You’ll want to train the abs and obliques with heavier loads, often very heavy in the 10-15 rep range, as well as in the 20-30 rep range (with loads if you can).
The abs are like most other muscles of the body, in that they respond well to both heavy and lighter load training, and both are necessary for optimal development.
The Greek God 8-Week Workout Plan
Below is a 5-day workout plan that is designed to help you look, and feel more like a Greek God in 8 weeks.
This workout plan trains all the main muscle groups twice per week, in addition to having you perform 20-minutes of HIIT, twice per week.
This program is intense, but so is the pursuit of looking like a Greek God.
- Note for Fitbod users: Below is an example workout split for demonstration purposes. The workout split isn’t necessarily the best workout split that will work for you individually, nor will it be the exact split that will be programmed for you on the app. Based on your personal preferences and logged training data, individual workouts can (and should) vary to give you the best training stimulus for your goals.
Day 1 – Legs and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | % of 1RM | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 | 6-8 | 65-70% | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Leg Press | 4 | 10-15 | 8-9 | 2-3 min | |
| RDL | 4 | 6-8 | 65-70% | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 20-30 steps | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Weighted Sit Up | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1 min | |
| Cable Woodchops | 4 | 12-15/side | 8-9 | 1 min |
Day 2 – Chest, Back, Conditioning
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | % of 1RM | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 | 65-70% | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Flat Dumbbell Flye | 4 | 10-15 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Weighted Dip | 4 | 8-10 | 8 | 2-3 min | |
| Dumbbell Row | 4 | 6-8/arm | 8-9 | 2-3 min | |
| Wide Grip Lat Pulldown | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1 min | |
| Rower (cardio) | 10 | 1 min sprint | 8 | 1 min |
Day 3 – Shoulders, Arms
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | % of 1RM | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Barbell Military Press | 4 | 6-8 | 65-70% | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Cable Face Pull | 4 | 12-15 | 8 | 2-3 min | |
| Skullcrusher | 3 | 8-10 | 8-9 | 2-3 min | |
| Cable Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1 min | |
| Preacher Curl | 3 | 8-10 | 8-9 | 1 min | |
| Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 3 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1 min |
Day 4 – Legs and Abs
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | % of 1RM | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift (Sumo, Trap Bar, or Conventional) | 4 | 6-8 | 65-70% | 8 | 2-3 min |
| Machine Hamstring Curl | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 20-30 steps | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Machine Leg Extension | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Decline Sit Up | 4 | 12-15 | 8-9 | 1 min | |
| Russian Twist | 4 | 12-15/side | 8-9 | 1 min |
Day 5 – Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms, Cardio
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | % of 1RM | RPE | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4-5 | 15-20 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Deficit Push Up | 4-5 | 15-20 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Neutral Grip Pulldown | 4-5 | 15-20 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Cable Triceps Pushdown | 4-5 | 15-20 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 4-5 | 15-20 | 8-9 | 1-1.5 min | |
| Incline Treadmill Run/Walk | 10 | 1min | 8-10% incline in treadmill | 8-9 (hard effort for run) | 1 min (walk) |
How To Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress on this program will come from tracking your performance in the gym, and your results on the scale/mirror.
Your Workouts
First, you want to make sure you are keeping track of the sets, reps, and weights you do each workout, and try to progress weekly by either doing a few more reps per set with the same weight, or add a little more weight and do the same amount of reps (make sure you are hitting those rep ranges and proper intensities).
You don’t need to lift super heavy to have a Greek God physique, and in fact, we want to make sure you are lifting with proper form and isolating the muscles first, and then add heavier loads on top of already good form to truly become a Greek God.
If you are looking for an easy, and accurate way to track your workout performance, and progress them seamlessly every week, let the Fitbod app design a Greek God workout program for you, complete with workout tracking, progressions, and exercise video tutorials.
Your Aesthetics
It is best to start the program by taking body measurements, such as taking the circumference of your thighs, waist, hips, arms, chest, and shoulders.
The goal would be to have all of them increase, with the exception of the waist to give you a more drastic V-shaped appearance. Measure the circumference every 2 weeks.
Greek God Physique: Diet & Supplements
Proper diet is key when it comes to building muscle and losing fat. There are no shortcuts around that. Below, we will go over how to properly fuel yourself to gain muscle and train hard, but also help your body lose fat over the course of 8 weeks.
It is important to note that you do NOT want to be too restrictive with your calories throughout this program, but rather take a slower approach. If you are impatient and severely undereat, you will certainly lose muscle mass and not have the results you are looking for.
For more resources check out the following articles:
- 16 Healthy Bulking Foods For Hard Gainers
How Many Calories Should You Eat to Look Like a Greek God?
As a general rule of thumb, you should eat 14-18 calories a day per pound to maintain your weight on this program.
If you are already lean and want to lose the last little bit of fat, and are not used to training as hard as this program, start by eating 16-18 calories per pound per day, and track weight loss and performance as discussed below.
If you want to lose fat (and are not generally lean), aim to eat 10-14 calories per pound per day.
Start the program by eating 12-14 calories per day per pound, and adjust weekly as needed (discussed below). If you are not used to training this hard, I recommend you start by eating 12-14 calories per day, and then drop calories in week 2-3.
How to Adjust Calorie Needs Every Week to Lose Fat and Keep Muscle?
You will adjust your calorie intake as needed on a weekly, or sometimes bi-weekly basis. You want to aim to lose .5-1.0lbs per week (Monday to Monday weigh-ins or Friday to Friday weigh-ins). Never compare your Friday weights to Monday weights, or vice versa.
- If you lost ½ – 1 lbs since the prior week, do not change your calorie needs from the week prior
- If you lost less than ½ since the prior week, AND did NOT have any cheat meals or days, then decrease your calories per pound by 1 for the next week (for example if last week you ate 14 calories per pound, then this week eat 13 calories per pound). NEVER decrease calories per pound per day by more than 1 each week.
- If you lost less than ½ since the prior week, AND did have any cheat meals or days, then repeat your same calorie needs as last week, and do not have a cheat meal or cheat day. You don’t need cheat meals, so stop having them.
How Much Protein Should You Eat During a Fat Loss Phase?
Protein is key for muscle growth and retention, especially when losing fat. Eat at least 1g of protein per pound, at a bare minimum.
You could even get away with eating 1-1.2g of protein per pound as you go deeper into the program.
How Many Carbs Should You Eat During a Fat Loss Phase?
Carbs are not your enemy. In fact, you need carbs to train hard and intensely, and to maintain the fullness in the muscles (carbs help muscles stay full, as carbohydrates are stored in the muscles themselves). Low carb diets will often not allow you to train as intensely with weights, will decrease your strength, and have you look flatter (less muscle fullness).
Aim to have 40-60% of your diet come from carbohydrate sources, with 20-30% coming from protein (or at least 1g per pound).
Should You Eat Fats During a Fat Loss Phase?
Fat sources are necessary, however they should be used sparingly as they are not the preferred fuel source for hard training and are very calorie dense.
During weight loss phases, where muscle retention and building is also important, you want to prioritize carbs and protein in your diet.
Depending on how many total calories you are to eat, you will first determine how many grams of protein you need, then carbohydrates. Whatever is left can come from fat.
How to Decrease Calories, Protein, Carbs, and Fats
When it’s time to decrease calories, you want to make sure you NEVER decrease protein intake. Over the course of the diet, as your calories drop, your protein intake should stay the same, or sometimes increase.
When you are dropping calories, first start by trying to keep as many carbs as you can in your diet, and decrease fats (still keep some in, but don’t strip away all carbs).
Again, low carb diets help you lose weight, mainly from water loss, but they also strip you of muscle tissue and can decrease your performance (which you need to train hard and with weights to not lose muscle).
What Supplements Should You Take?
Supplements are NOT a vital part of your training and diet program, however they CAN be very helpful in achieving your dietary needs, especially when training hard and restricting calories. Below are the supplements that can benefit you, and have repeatedly been shown to produce significant results in lifters (backed by scientific evidence).
Protein Powders
Protein powders can be useful in helping you consume enough protein in your diet to hit your daily needs.
When training hard with the goals of muscle growth and fat loss, you will want to consume ~ 1g of protein per pound, sometimes more if you are dieting down.
While eating protein rich foods is a must as well (lean meats, eggs, dairy, etc), you can use protein powders to supplement your diet intake to deliver fast, digestible protein to the body.
When choosing a protein powder, aim for something that is mainly all protein, as many of the “high protein” powders out there are also high in carbs, fats, or both.
If you are looking for a protein powder, aim for one that is between 120-170 calories per serving, and delivers at least 20-30 grams of protein per serving.
Creatine
Creatine helps by providing fast energy to the muscles, specifically for strength and power based movements.
When training hard with weights, your body first must utilize creatine / ATP for muscle contractions. Having additional creatine in your system (which is already natural in the body) helps to ensure proper creatine stores in the muscles.
Additionally, creatine can help draw water into the muscle, which helps increase blood flow and muscle building nutrient delivery to muscle tissue.
Caffeine / Pre Workouts
Caffeine and pre-workouts are effective as they can increase mental focus, energy, and your ability to train hard and intensely, for longer.
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant and is a main ingredient in almost any pre-workout (and is primarily the main ACTIVE ingredient, aside from simple sugar).
These can be helpful to use if you are lower on energy or need an extra boost, however they can be abused and disturb sleep habits or used as a band-aid approach to combat poor sleep and recover habits.
Consuming 100-300g of caffeine 30-45 minutes before a workout can be the extra boost you are looking for, however if you have too much you may find you feel jittery, dizzy, or have higher heart rates (as it is a stimulant).
Looking for a workout program? Try using the Fitbod App, which will design your program based on your logged training data and goals. The workouts will adapt automatically to your levels of recovery and rate of progress. With over 600 movements and exercises videos, you can be sure to perform the movements correctly for optimal results. Take the guesswork out of your workouts. Try 3 free workouts on Fitbod.
Final Thoughts
You now have everything you need to achieve a Greek God physique in a few months. Using the workout plan above, aim to train hard with weights every workout, and progress weekly in one of the ways mentioned above. The biggest thing to focus on outside of the gym is the diet, as the Greek God physique relies heavily on eating properly and not deviating from your diet too much (if at all) over the course of 8-12 weeks.
About The Author
Mike holds a Master’s in Exercise Physiology and a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science. He’s a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), USA Weightlifting Advanced Coach, and has over 10+ years of experience working with collegiate athletes, national level lifters, and beginners alike.Mike is Founder ofJ2FITStrength and Conditioning, a growing global training company with gyms in New York City, Cincinnati, and online offering personal training, online custom coaching programs.
