How to Build the Body of a Greek God
How to Create the Body of a Greek God
In this podcast episode of epic proportions, Tom and I flesh out how to build the body of a Greek God. This is the classical physique that was modeled in Ancient Greece on statues. It’s also the same very shape that many Hollywood actors strive to achieve for films in which they must look extremely athletic, powerful and of course, awe inspiring.
Unlike an over bulked physique, the Greek God Physique is the type of shape that women find inherently attractive and desirable. Well in this episode, Tom and I showcase exactly what this physique looks like and exactly how to attain it, with a unique strategy of training and dieting.
Delving into deeper waters, we explain exactly why building godlike strength is a necessity for achieving the dense and muscular look of a Greek God. Then we flesh out key strategies and unheard of tactics to allow you to build strength and muscle faster than you could ever imagine, all while staying lean and chiseled.
You’ll Learn How to Tap Into Strength Gains You Never Knew Were Possible
These are the very tactics that I have used to build up to 150 lbs chin ups* and 315 lbs bench presses at under 8% body fat, among many other feats of strength. This podcast episode is largely based off of the coveted Greek God Program.
*Note: Make sure you use a high-quality weight belt to prevent discomfort and distraction when doing weighted chin-ups.
The very system that has transformed hundreds of men in average shape into the condition and caliber of Hollywood’s fittest (think Brad Pitt in Troy or Daniel Craig in Skyfall). This is of course while attaining very strong lifts (100 lbs + chin ups and 250 lbs incline presses for reps).
If you want to pack on sleek muscle and attain strength and power that is unheard of today, this is a must listen to! This information is largely missing in the fitness industry and it is my drive to teach all men how to build the strength and physique of a Greek God.
Here’s what you’ll learn
- Key attributes of the Greek God Physique
- The best exercises to build the Greek God ratio’s
- Why building strength is the best way to build dense muscle
- How to add 50 lbs to each of your key lifts in 12 weeks
- How to build capped shoulders naturally (a key sign of a Greek God Physique)
- Calorie and macro strategies to build muscle without fat gain
- The main drivers of muscle growth and why you can build muscle on less calories than you think
Watch the Video Interview Here
Thank You For Listening!
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Hey Greg, just wondering what you thought was a good weight to be doing on incline bench before switching to the chest specialization routine? Thanks!
Hey, Greg
What’s a good arm size for a 5’7″ guy shoot for? About chest and shoulders the Adonis ratio is, respectively, 1.4 and 1.618, right?
Probably around 15″ with a 30″ waist.
Hi Greg! Your podcasts and articles are great stuff!
I bought your GG program and I am planning to start it soon.
I’ve been cutting since august and I’ve dropped from 96 kg to 87 kg. Now I am eating around 2300 and it’s getting harder. I have started to have some minor cravings and feel hungrier. I am still losing weight steadily but slowly, around 250g/week.
My height is 194 cm and waist (navel) is 85 cm. My bodyfat percentage based on few online calculators and tape measurements is around 12%. I am starting to feel really skinny, but still look kinda skinny fat with no muscle definition. Should I continue to cut or slowly switch to lean bulk?
My lifts are still going up.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16687563/IMG_0936.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16687563/IMG_0950.jpg
Thanks!
You’re looking quite lean to me and your waist is very taut. I don’t think you’re skinny fat. Take 2 months to eat around 2600 calories and focus on lean bulking. Then go back to cutting.
If you have stalled on a exercise like incline bench press. How many times would you try to get the last rep before moving on to a similar exercise?
If you failed two times it’s time to move on.
Greg, what variation do you recommend other than incline barbell on GG. I started SD workouts and doing Workout A/B for the last 2 months and I didn’t notice what you recommend to switch incline barbell with? Should I go to flat or maybe incline dumbell? thanks man
I’d suggest switching with incline DB Bench Press.
So inspiring! I’m glad I found your channel. I know its a program for guys, but I want to be a Greek Goddess, so I’m gonna take your advice and apply it in my training.
Great idea! I will be putting something out for women in the new year :)
Love the podcast Greg! Quick question I have for you regarding Greek God vs Superhero (sorry, I’m sure you are tired of this one). I understand you say GG is probably a better choice for beginners to run as you gain strength faster than on Superhero which would seem to make sense as it’s a 2 day split versus 3 day. My only question about that is…on Superhero once the top rep range is hit, the weight is increased by 5 lbs. So assuming things go well you are increasing lifts by 5 lbs per week at first. On GG, seeing as you on average perform a lift 1.5 times per week with a weight increase of 2.5 lbs, it’s a weekly gain of 3.75 lbs. I’m sure I’m missing something here. I realize that on a 3 day it likely will be hard to continually add 5 lbs on a weekly basis and it’s more punishing if you fail, but I wanted your opinion on this. Keep up the great work!
It very likely will take 2-3 workouts with the same weight before you’re able to increase by 5 lbs. So you’ll probably end up increasing by 10 lbs every 4-6 weeks. Whereas greek god program you’ll increase by 15 lbs per month.
That said, the first couple workouts you may be able to add 5 lbs and keep the weight the same. Then you’ll tend to lose 1 rep on barbell movements and 2 reps on dumbbell movements when you increase the weight.
Awesome, thanks for the reply! Will be patient then and run GG till ready for Superhero.
Also this is a bit random but what are your thoughts on something like single leg leg press for legs? I have trouble with balance on bulgarian split squats so was considering alternatives. I feel like you lean towards unilateral leg work so was looking for your opinion here.
Yeah that’s a good movement. But single leg standing work is better for knee stability. You could consider doing reverse lunges. I honestly think that you should work on balance.
Greg,
Even though I had pieced together a “Greek god program” from all the free info that you share, I finally bought the official GGP, at the Black Friday price. Thanks for the savings. I read through it thoroughly and it’s awesome!
With that being said, I’m unsure how to proceed. I know you now prefer rest- pause (pump) training. Should I follow the GGP as written, i.e. using SS (3 x 8-12) in the S&D routine, then SP (12,10,8,6,6,6) when I get to the MEGA phase? Or is rest pause SO MUCH better and more efficient?
Thanks.
Hey Rob!
You can replace rest pause training for straight sets and standard pyramid sets. They’re all interchangeable. You’ll still get awesome results with straight sets and standard pyramid. I just find rest pause to be more efficient. Less time and work to get the same effect.
That’s what I thought you’d say.
Sold!
Thanks bro.
Hey Greg, Could i use the recomp protocol from your greek god program for cutting?
Well you wouldn’t lose weight, you’d maintain your weight while getting leaner. If you want to use it for cutting you’ll want to just do the workout day macros twice per week. Monday and Friday for example. And drop the cals on each day by 200-300.
Quick question, Greg. How do you count macros for sushi? Thanks a lot, great info as usual.
haha you just have to eye ball it man. And guess. Or just eat slowly and consciously and eat a reasonable amount.
Greg, I have been following your reverse pyramid protocol with good results. As a result of listening to your broadcast I ordered a pair of 1.25 lb plates and started to implement progressive overload last night. What are your thoughts on adding say 20 lbs above the top work out weight (4 to 6 rep range) and throwing in one rep? Maybe at one rep max. Could this help bust thru a plateau?
You could do it for fun. I doubt it’s going to bust you through a plateau. The best way to break through a plateau is with proper progression (microloading) and exercise rotation. Switching to a different variation of a movement.
Hey Greg,
I have been lifting for several years now and have hit plateaus on the majority of my lifts. Including incline bench and weighted chin ups. I can incline bench 92.5kg for 5 reps at 170lbs and also do weighted chin ups with 32.5kg attached for 4 reps.
I have bought your programs and had a look into your posts on busting through your plateaus and just wanted to check that I’ve got your method down.
Example for the 1st set of incline bench. Using micro loading
If for a couple weeks I stall at 92.5kg for 5 reps then I would increase the weight to 93.5kg and continue doing 5 reps. If I then hit a plateau on say 95kg and can only do 4 reps I then continue and increase the weight to 96kg sticking with 4 reps and then continue to increase the weight until I can no longer manage 4 reps. From there I would then change the exercise variation. Because I don’t have dumbbells, for me this would either be close grip bench or weighted dips. I would then start back at 6 reps for the new exercise and repeat. Is this correct?
Any advice would be great man. Thanks
Yes that’s the right idea. You should at-least get 3-4 workouts of personal records before dropping a rep though.
Hey Greg!
Straight to the point, I think you would really benefit from collabing with Furious Pete (https://www.youtube.com/user/furiouspete123) and/or Omar Isuf (https://www.youtube.com/user/OmarIsuf).
They both have similar views to yours ( Pete is more focused on absolute strenght/powerlifting, while Omar’s philosophy is very similar to yours: emphasizing relative strenght, looking great and performing even better) and they’re both from your area.
I love your content and your devotion to this site and your clients and followers. You’ve helped me out a lot so I really wish you all success in the world and I think your Youtube channel would be your best bet for popularizing Kinobody. Your channel sure is growing, but those collabs would bring it to a whole new level. Just giving you some food for thought :)
BTW, when is that greek God update coming?
Thanks, those are great collab ideas. I’ll see what I can do :)
Updates are almost finished. Probably within the next 1-2 weeks.
If I forgot to mention it in my earlier post due to my ranting about somatypes – I loved this episode. Really great info.
I’ve always loved all of your fitness advice, and still do, but one of the things that has always amused me is when you talk about how squats and deadlifts will make your legs too big.
I suppose it’s just because I’m an ectomorph – but there’s no way in HELL squats and deadlifts would ever make my legs too big. If I repurposed my entire existence around getting bulky legs to the exclusion of all else, and even gave up upper body training completely just so I could squat and deadlift several times per week – my legs might eventually start to look like normal sized legs, but they wouldn’t even come anywhere close to approaching too big. They wouldn’t even be considered big, much less too big.
Which reminds me of something I read in a fitness book once – I forget who wrote it, but they were talking about the different body types, and under Mesomorph, they wrote: “Mesomorphs are usually the people who have to stop training a body part because it’s TOO effective, and they’re getting TOO big. No other body type has that problem.”
So I think it’s textbook proof that you are indeed a mesomorph, if you actually find that certain exercises are too effective at bulking you up. That’s certainly not a bad thing – you’re one lucky bastard, AND you work your ass off rather than coasting on your genetics, so you’ve ended up with a mind-blowing physique for a natural lifter. But I think most people that visit your site and probably not mesomorphs, so they’d probably be better off squatting and deadlifting – it won’t make their legs too big, trust me. Well unless they’re mesomorphs, that is.
Aside from that, I love all your stuff, especially the focus on progressive overload, strength, and functional fitness.
Hey Michael,
Very interesting, thanks for sharing :). And yes, in your individual case, you have to sometimes take the advice of mine which is useful, and discard that which doesn’t apply to you. So in your case, you can handle training your legs a lot harder. What are your current squat and deadlift numbers btw? I find that when people build up to 1.5x bodyweight for 6-8 reps, they should have solid looking legs by then.
Hey Greg,
I’ve started trying to cut recently, I am only a couple of weeks in. I am 23 and 6 ft at around 171 lbs and 14-15% bf. I am currently eating 2000 calories a day with 1-2 2700 calorie re feed days.
I noticed my weight changed from 171.4 lbs to 169.6 in the first week and then 169.6 to 171.4 in the second week. I have been tracking my calories so I’m definitely getting my cals right. I am also doing 30 mins running 2-3 times a week burning around 300 calories and weight training 3 x a week. The weights in the gym have been increasing. I have also just newly introduced barbell squats to build up my legs a bit.
My question is, do you think this is a sign of a recomp and should I just keep doing what I am doing? or should I reduce my calories a little further? Cheers man
Loving the podcast and recent posts. Incredibly inspiring.
Yes, definitely a sign of a recomp! Keep doing what you’re doing. I suspect your waist measurement dropping.
How to build my calves?
Awesome episode greg, a ton of information packed in a single episode!
By the way have you seen Interstellar? Aboslutely amazing movie
Thanks man! Woah just saw the trailer, looks amazing. Will check it out for sure.
Finally!
I’ve been waiting for this one, even though you always stress the importance of strength on key movements on just about every podcast and article.
This is your best program. I can’t believe it only has a couple comments.
I so look forward to my next workout to hit that top (max) set and try to beat the previous poundage or reps. It kills me to have to wait the four or five days, but I know it’s best.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks so much Rob! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Awesome podcast! Really enjoyed this one.
It would be freaking awesome if you got Stephen Amell on for an episode! I’d definitely look forward to that one.
Hello Greg,
First, really good podcast, thanks for all the information you are sharing, I really appreciate it!!
I would be really grateful if you could give me your opinion on which program to follow, greek god or superhero (that I just finished reading and seems intense :) )
I am currently 163 pounds, ~11/12%BF, 5’10.
On the main lifts I do 5 reps at
Benchpress : 235 lbs
DB incline press : 85lbs
DB military press : 62.5lbs
Pull ups : 65lbs
So I guess my level of strengh is intermediate.
I have photoshoots planned in may next year (so around 6months time) and would like to gain some size, and then (quickly) drop to around 10% to look good. Which program do you think would allow me to reach the best results in terms of size and definition in that timeframe. I was thinking either do 4 * 6weeks of Superhero “bulk” program followed by 6weeks cut (with a different program), or go with Greek god all the way. I am not sure which would add more size at my current state. Will the superhero program be more effective?
Thanks a lot for your help and sorry for the long explanation
Both will definitely deliver solid results. And you’d make the best long term progress if you worked through both of them. I think you should start with the greek god program for at-least 3 months to get really strong. Then work through the superhero bulking program.
I have the Greek God Program, I’m just wondering what the proportions and strength standards are for legs and calves compared to the rest of the body? My legs are lean and athletic, not rubbing together, I just want to know if they are closer to “chicken legs” or fine proportionally and strength-wise.
I haven’t devised leg size measurements yet. But that’s something I can look into and research. A great goal to shoot for for legs would be to be able to do pistol squats with half your bodyweight for 3-5 reps. Hold two dumbbells (one in each hand beside your hips).
Hey Greg awesome episode I have a question though using the porportions from you greek god program in order for me to achive that physique I would have to add :
2.5 inches to my waist
3 inches to my arms
7 inches to my chest
6 inches to my shoulders
And for my legs to stay in proportion 2-3 inches to my calves and 3-4 inches to my legs and I was wondering using both your greek god and superhero program how long would it take to achieve that physique and make those gains, how much weight do you think I would need to gain if I’m already at the right bf% ( around 8 ) and taking 44% of height for ideal waist ( I have a naturally small waist 29.5 at 185 cm) and lastly how long to do each program for the most effective gains ? Thanks
Ps : just to confirm for someone whose around 184-185 cm tall would these measurments be considered greek god if at 7-9 % bf
Chest : 45 in
Arms : 16.25 in
Waist : 32 in
Shoulders : 51.5 – 52 in
Legs : 23-24 in and calves 15-16 in
Thanks for all the awesome content and sorry for the long comment
Yes that’s the right idea! It will probably take 2-3 years to get to where you want to be. You have a lot of muscle to build. Get your strength up with the greek god program then work on some more size with the superhero bulking program.
Thanks for the reply Greg ya i figured it would probably take around 3 I have a couple more question though would this be an effective way of using both programs :
S and D 1 8 weeks
S and D 2 6 weeks
Chest and back specializations 6 weeks
Shoulders and legs specializations 6 weeks
Arms specialization 6 weeks
3 day split 8 weeks
Then following the superhero program for 8 months using the 3 day split again for 8 weeks then doing the superhero program again for another 6-8 months ?
And my other question is for someone who’s 184 cm what are the ideal measurments for someone aiming for the brad pitt fury look ( I’m guessing he is considered warrior ) and whether I can achieve something similar with 10 months if my current stats are
Chest : 38.5 in
Arms : 13.38 in
Waist : 29.5 in
Shoulders : 47.25 in
Thanks again
Yes that looks like a good strategy to me!
I’d say you probably want to be around 175 lbs for the Brad Pitt Fury look.