Everything You Need to Know About Building a Greek God Physique including Diet, Workout, More

What is a Greek God physique?

Zeus - God of the sky and king of Olympus, Poseidon - God of the sea, Ares - God of war, Hercules - God of strength. You’ve probably heard of some of the famous Greek Gods from ancient Greek mythology.

They were worshipped by the ancient Greeks for a variety of reasons, yet they all had one thing in common: they were all ripped. The ancient Greeks had a solid understanding of what was required to build the perfect physique, and they saw it as a hugely important facet for gods to display a strong and aesthetic image of absolute power.

The Greek God physique features perfect symmetry, strength, bulk, classic V-shape abs, a narrow waist, defined leg muscles, round biceps, equally developed triceps, bulky pecs, a flat chest, broad shoulders, and a low body fat ratio of around 8-10%.

We can see this clearly by looking at classic Greek God statues, or Hollywood movie renditions of Ancient Greece such as Troy and 300, where celebrities Brad Pitt and Gerard Butler crafted excellent physiques to portray Greek warrior Achilles and King of Sparta, Leonidas, respectively. 

Finding The Golden Ratio

The Greek God physique places emphasis on muscular balance and symmetry, based on “The Golden Ratio.” If you’re looking to put in the work and dedication to earn a Greek God physique, you’ll want to aim for the physique measurements delineated by “The Golden Ratio”, which is the main formula used by bodybuilders to acquire the perfect waist-to-shoulder ratio.

Read below to find the shoulder circumference you should have based on your waist size to have a 1:1.618 Golden Ratio. 

Waist size (inches)                  Shoulder size (inches)

30                                            48.5

31                                            50.1

32                                            51.8

33                                            53.4

34                                            55.0

35                                            56.6

36                                            58.2

37                                            59.9

38                                            61.5

39                                            63.1

40                                            64.7

Aiming to fulfill The Golden Ratio will help you curate the optimal body shape and forms part of your journey towards achieving the “Grecian Ideal”.

What is The Grecian Ideal?

Eugene Sandow was a German bodybuilder who was born in 1867. Back in his day, he was the public image of the perfect male physique. He developed revolutionary bodybuilding tactics and physique development ideas through his study of ancient Greek sculptures.

He believed that the ancient Greeks had mastered the art of physique development, and therefore coined the term “Grecian Ideal”, which refers to the perfect proportions for males to have a Greek God physique.

The Grecian Ideal expresses that flexed arms and calves should be 2.5 times bigger than your non-dominant wrist and that your shoulders should be 1.618 times bigger than your waist. Also, your chest should be 6.5 times larger than your wrist and your upper leg should be 1.75 times larger than your knee.

You can work out your measurements by measuring the body parts and completing the required equations against these measurements. To make things easier, there are many Grecian Ideal calculators available online, so all you’ll need is a tape measure.

You can then keep track of your measurements as you move forward with your workout and diet plan. Also, as dictated by The Golden Ratio above, the Grecian Ideal body fat percentage is 8-10%. This may seem like a low body fat percentage, but removing considerable fat and dipping below 10% is a sure-fire way to let the muscles you worked hard to gain show through easily.

Dipping below 8%, however, can adversely affect your health and is not recommended. You can experience malnutrition, heart rate, and blood pressure problems as well as weakened bones and dehydration if your weight drops too low, so it’s important to maintain a certain amount of body fat and to keep an eye on your weight to make sure it remains in a healthy range. 

So, how do you work towards achieving the sort-after Greek God physique? It takes a lot of hard work and perseverance, and won’t happen overnight.

To cut down on your research time, we’ve put together a handy workout and diet guide below to help you begin your journey towards rocking the perfect physique. 

The Greek God Diet 

One of the most important things you need to do to achieve your Greek God physique is to focus on your diet plan. After all, the old saying is true: you are what you eat. Putting burgers and sweets in your body will not help you earn the perfect physique.

Eating unhealthy meals and snacks contributes to weight gain, obesity, and a myriad of health problems. It’s a no-brainer that you’re going to have to watch what you eat to get in shape, but if you’re aiming high and want a Greek God physique, you’re going to have to pay much more attention to the things you eat, your portion sizes and when you eat.

Your workout plan will be pretty intense and will require the right fuels to power your body and develop your muscles into top-tier strength and symmetry. You’ll have to consider the number of calories you’re consuming per day (in relation to your workouts and rest days) taking supplements and tracking your macros (carbohydrates, proteins, fats).

You can use apps on your smartphone to easily track your physical activity, weight, calories, macros, and even water consumption.

There are plenty of apps available on the app stores so have a look around to see which one is the most suitable for your needs. Getting into the habit of recording your activities and diet choices every day will help you to keep on track. 

Calories

The first thing you need to consider when beginning your Greek God physique journey is the number of calories you need to consume per day.

Depending on your current body measurements, you may need to think about calories differently. To achieve 8-10% body fat, you may need to cut your calories first before you start bulking out.

First, you need to find out your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You can do this by inputting your normal daily activities into an online TDEE calculator.

The calculator will tell you how many calories you need to consume per day to maintain your current weight. You can then work out from there how many calories you need to consume to achieve the required weight loss you need to achieve 8-10% body fat. 

A steady weight loss of around 0.5-1% body weight per week is the healthiest way to achieve this without causing muscle loss. A pound of fat is equivalent to about 3500 calories, which means you need to be in a calorie deficit of 3500 calories per week to lose a pound a week.

Multiplying your current body weight by 1%, multiplying that figure by 3500, and then dividing that number by seven will give you the calorie deficit you should be aiming for every day.

You can then use a calorie tracker to make sure that you keep your deficit going until you reach the 8-10% body fat goal. However, it’s really important to make good choices about what you eat within your calorie allowance too.

The right fuels give optimal fat loss and muscle gain, and they also make sure your body receives enough nutritional value to keep you healthy, which is especially important while you are cutting calories and working out. You can keep an eye on the nutritional values of your foods by tracking your macros. 

Macros

The word “Macro” is short for macronutrients. They consist of the three nutrients humans need the most in their diet: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Food labels tell us the percentage of these macronutrients in the food we purchase, or we can also find macro information on calorie-tracking apps or online.

The ideal percentage of macros you should consume per day to achieve optimal fat loss and muscle gain are as follows: 30-35% protein, 45-60% carbohydrates, and 15-30% fat.

As you can see, the majority of your daily calorie consumption should come from healthy carbohydrates such as wholegrain bread, pasta, and cereals. You should also consume a lot of protein such as lean meat, fish, and eggs. 

Fat should only make up around a quarter or just over of your diet, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on things like butter and cheese, and it goes without saying that you should heavily limit junk foods such as chips, sweets, and takeaways as these are normally packed with fats and sugars, and will greatly contribute to your calorie intake for the day.

Tracking your nutritional intake will help you towards building your perfect physique quicker, make you feel full for longer which will stop you from snacking on unhealthy foods, and will also make you feel better physically and mentally.

Supplements 

Once you get started with your workouts, it may be worth considering a few supplements to help you gain more muscle, increase protein intake and enhance energy levels for those intense sessions at the gym. Here are a few supplement ideas below for you to look into.

Pre-workout powder - many gym-goers opt for a scoop of pre-workout power around half an hour before their workout. It helps to improve physical endurance and mental focus to allow for longer and more powerful workouts, while also increasing blood flow and the potential for heavier muscle gains. 

Whey protein - it’s not always easy to fit the daily amount of protein required to achieve a Greek God physique, which is why whey protein (which has a whopping 20-40g of protein in each scoop) is a great idea to up your protein intake and make for more intense workouts and faster recovery rates. This is a great choice of supplement for those who are just starting out, as they might not be used to adding so much protein to their daily diets. 

Creatine - Creatine is an excellent supplement to boost muscle fiber and overall mass growth, and it really lends a hand to your endurance levels while working out. Serving up around 5-10g of creatine each day should help to increase the length of your workouts and contribute to faster and more noticeable results. 

Workout Tips For A Greek God Physique

Now you’ve nailed down the major diet principles for cultivating a Greek God body, it’s time to look at the types of workouts you need to incorporate into your schedule.

Depending on your current fitness level and whether you already have a fair bit of muscle behind you or you’re a complete beginner, the best aesthetic workout routine for you may look different. 

The main targets you’re going to concentrate on during your workouts are bulking out your shoulders, increasing the size of your lats, buffing up your pectorals, increasing muscle mass in your arms, and developing symmetry across your whole body.

You’re looking to increase the mass and density of your muscles. So, first of all, take a look at our general workout tips to keep in mind when you hit the gym:

• Training and rest days - three training days per week is optimal for increasing your gains fast, as you need rest days in between workouts to allow your muscles to recover and build back stronger. Make sure to incorporate your rest days as these will reduce the potential for injury or burnout and allow you to continue working out at maximum intensity for each workout session. 
• Reps - repetitions, or “reps” are the number of times you complete a single exercise before taking a short break. Normally, the ideal number of reps to complete in workout sessions is regarded as 8-12 for optimal muscle growth. However, this depends on how heavy your weights are. Lifting heavier weights for fewer reps is great for increasing your muscle mass growth potential and general strength. So, aim for the 1-12 rep range but cater this to the weights you’re lifting. Lifting heavier weights means you will need to do fewer reps because you’ll be unable to maintain lifting. As long as you complete the rep effectively and with good posture, as little as 1 rep with as high a resistance as you can lift is very effective for muscle growth. 
• Resting between sets - a “set” is several reps of a specific exercise completed in a row before taking a short rest break. Resting between sets is really important for muscle recovery and to boost your gains during your workout. Around 1-2 minutes of resting between sets are optimal for your muscles to repair and for increased mass growth. 

Workout Examples

The following example workouts will help you to target all the major muscle groups in each of your workouts. They can be completed in any order as long as they are completed together as a full workout session separately over your three workout days. 

This will ensure muscular balance and symmetry. For the following exercises, you should incorporate 1-2 minutes of rest between sets.

Workout Day 1 (chest, triceps, and abdominal muscles)

• Back squat (4 sets, 3-5 reps) - Back squat is one of the best hack squat alternatives for a complete boy workout. To do this exercise, rest the barbell on the back of your shoulder muscles. Standing with your feet around shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing outwards and your back straight, crouch down as if you’re sitting in a chair until your hips are below your knees. Hold your weight on your heels as you stand back up.
• Romanian deadlift – (4 sets, 3-5 reps) - Hold the bar in your hands firmly. Wearing weightlifting gloves helps protect your palms and gives you a tight grip for your deadlifts. Slowly lower the bar with your knees slightly bent, bending at the hips and keeping your back straight.  Keep lowering until you feel a slight tension in your hamstrings, then move your hips forwards and stand up using your hamstrings.
• Sumo deadlift – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) Stand with your feet slightly over shoulder-width apart and point your toes outwards. Bending at the hips, lower yourself down to lift the bar. Make sure your back is straight. Push through your heels and extend your knees to lift the bar up to mid-thigh height. Pull your shoulders backward, then slowly lower the bar back down to the floor, taking care not to round your back.  
• Barbell good morning – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Rest the barbell on your rear shoulders and exhale as you hinge your hips backward and your upper body forward. Finish when your upper body is almost parallel with the floor and inhale as you return to the starting position.
• Standing dumbbell calf raise – (2 sets, 15 reps) Stand up straight with two dumbells by your sides. Place the balls of your feet on an exercise step with your heels on the floor. Point your toes forward and raise your heels off the floor, contracting your calves. Return to the starting position.

Workout Day 2 (quads, calves, and hamstrings)

• Bench press – (4 sets, 3-5 reps) Lie on your back on a bench and hold the bar with your hands just over shoulder-width apart, lower the bar to your chest as you inhale. Push the bar back up as you exhale.
• Incline bench press – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) - Adjust your incline bench to an angle of around 30-45°.  Lie on your back with your hands on the bar, just over shoulder-width apart, with your palms facing upward. Lift the bar and push it up until your arms are extended and your hands are above your shoulders. Lower the bar to your chest, then push it back up.
• Dumbbell lateral raise – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) Stand with two dumbbells at your sides. Keep your back straight, and then move the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are parallel with the floor, with slightly bent elbows. Lower them back down to your sides. 
• Barbell French press – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) Adjust the bench to the setting just short of 90 degrees. Hold the bar with a thumbless narrow grip. Face your elbows in towards each other and let the bar pull them back and drag them back forward while pushing up over the back of your head.
• Weighted sit-up – (3 sets, 10-12 reps) Sitting on the floor with a dumbbell, place the weight against your chest and lie down on your back. With your knees bent at a 90-degree angle, contract your core and raise your upper body toward your knees until your forearms are against your thighs. Hold for a few seconds, and then lower back down to the floor. 

Workout Day 3 (back, traps and biceps)

• Pull-up – (4 sets, 3-5 reps) Jump up and grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with your arms extended. Pull yourself up, moving slowly until your chin is above the bar, then downward until your arms are extended.
• Bent-over row – (4 sets, 3-5 reps) - Hold a barbell overhand, your hands just over shoulder width apart. With a slight bend in your knees and keeping your back straight, bend your upper body until it’s at a 90-degree angle to the floor. Row the barbell upwards towards your lower chest, hold, then return to the starting position. 
• Dumbbell shrug – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) - Hold two dumbbells by your sides. With your feet shoulder-width apart, raise your shoulders as much as you can by contracting your traps. Lower the dumbbells back to your sides and repeat.
• Bicep curl – (3 sets, 8-10 reps) - Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your elbows at your sides. Your forearms should extend out in front of you. Curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders by bending your elbows, then lower them back down slowly. 
• Rear deltoid raise – (3 sets, 10-12 reps) Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees slightly and push your hips behind you,  leaning your torso forward with a straight back. Hang the dumbbells down toward the floor with your elbows slightly bent. Push the weights out to your sides until they're aligned with your shoulders. Lower the dumbbells. 

There is a huge range of different exercises out there for you to try during your workouts. It’s important to keep your workouts varied, so if you want to try a new exercise at your next gym session just have a look on the internet.

The exercises we have provided here target all of the core elements for a Greek God physique, so they are a great place to start if you are looking to build a strong, aesthetic, and symmetrical body structure. You can also check out the best aesthetic workout routine article we have for more on building a great looking figure.

Remember, it’s important to understand that building such a specific physique takes time, a lot of effort, and self-motivation. Make sure not to neglect your diet, as we have discussed the importance of fueling your body correctly and that eating unhealthy foods can easily undo all of your hard work in the gym. 

Hopefully, this guide has given you a good insight into how you can start your diet and training journey, and help you on your way to earning that coveted Greek God physique.