What is The Apollo Body?

We've all heard the expression, "a body like a Greek god," but what does it really mean? For thousands of years, the perfect male body was based upon the Greek ideal. Simply being big and muscular was not enough. All the body parts had to be in proportion. The body had to look symmetrical, graceful and yes, even beautiful.

This ideal was what early bodybuilders used to strive for, back in the early 20th century, when the sport was still in its infancy. But that started to change around about the 1960s or so. The emphasis moved away from beauty and proportion and onto sheer size. The introduction of anabolic steroids and other drugs onto the scene didn't help either. In order to win competitions, bodybuilders were forced to play a game of catch-up - if someone had a huge chest, for example, you had to get an even huger one.

Bodybuilding physiques eventually got so huge that they've become completely divorced from their roots in the ideal Greek god body. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that bodybuilders aren't impressive or deserving of respect. The amount of work that these guys put in is immense, and no-one can deny that they are a sight to behold. When I was a boy, Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of my heroes, and I dreamed of looking like that. I used to fantasise about picking up my childhood bullies and saying "Hasta la vista, baby!" as I tossed them into a wall with one hand. However, I couldn't help noticing that most females didn't find that look attractive at all. I'd hear comments like: 

"All those muscles are really gross," or

"He looks like a freak with all those veins showing," or simply,

"It doesn't look natural."

Exactly! It doesn't look natural; that's the point.

On the other hand, a body like a Greek god looks natural. And it looks, at least in my opinion, very attractive. Think about just how few models or movie stars have a huge bodybuilder's physique. Besides for Arnold, how many champion bodybuilders have really made it big in Hollywood? Not many. Leading men in the movies may certainly have a Greek god-type physique, but they'll virtually never be enormous bodybuilders. Huge musclemen, if they get any parts at all, are generally cast as either minor villains or as lumbering idiots, or as both. It's an unfair stereotype, I know, but that's the way it is.

So let's now explore what my definition of the ideal Greek god physique is. The best way to do that is to look at this statue of Apollo*.

The first thing that should strike you is the sheer quality of the muscles over quantity. The body of a Greek god has everything is in perfect proportion; no muscle has been built just for the sake of size.

Next, let's talk some more about each of the elements which are important in creating the look of that statue.

A) Shoulders

In my opinion, the most important thing is the overall shape of the Greek god body. By this, I mean broad shoulders and a narrow waist. This kind of gently tapering frame is very important and is the main thing that will get you noticed, even with your shirt on. It all starts with having shoulders that are wide and well developed.

B) Arms

I definitely think that muscular arms are important, but we don't want to go overboard. Do you see how the arms on the statue are in proportion to the rest of the body? One of the mistakes that many bodybuilders today make is to totally overdo their arms. Just because you can build arms that are half as wide as your torso doesn't mean that you should. In my opinion, that just overshadows and destroys the overall shape.

C) Back

A wide upper back is also part of creating the overall tapering look of a Greek god physique. Even when viewed from the front, a well-developed back will give your whole frame that desirable shape.

D) Waist

Broad shoulders and a wide back are only half of the Greek god shape we want to create. The other half is having a small waist. When viewed in silhouette, we want to have that 'V' shape, rather than appearing square, or even round.

E) Neck

Have a look at the neck area. Can you see how the neck is not too big, and his trapezius muscles (the muscles above the collarbones) are not overly developed? This is also important; overdeveloping the neck and trapezius will detract from the broad-shouldered shape that we are after.

F) Chest

The chest, too, should be built in moderation. This is also an area that is often overdeveloped, possibly because it is a relatively "easy" muscle area to grow. What we'll be aiming for with a Greek god body are pectoral muscles that are slab-like. We don't want to develop the chest so that it looks bloated and round, or, even worse, droopy.

G) Abdominals

You'll also notice the trim and flat abdomen. It goes without saying that this is something worth having, and indeed we will work a lot on it in our program. In my opinion, having a great abdomen, complete with a six-pack, is one of the things that distinguish the true body of a Greek god from the simply big.

H) Legs

The Apollo body has legs that, like the arms, are in proportion to the rest of the body. We certainly don't want scrawny legs, but this doesn't mean building freakishly enormous thighs like some modern bodybuilders. Notice how the shape of the thigh sweeps gracefully down to the knee rather than bulging unnaturally.  Remember, the body of a Greek god looks natural!

I) Calves

Notice too how the calf muscles haven't been neglected and are developed in proportion.

I'd like you now to consider the overall tone of the muscles. See how they look gently rounded, rather than being too harsh or "cut"? This is quite a hard concept to put into words, but I like to think of it as looking moulded or sculpted. When the light catches these contours - as it does in that photo - you get that incredible shine. This moulded look is achieved by reducing the body fat to a low percentage (using methods I'll teach you), but not nearly as low as competitive bodybuilders are required to. We don't want to be so "ripped" or "shredded" that you can see the striations in all the muscles as well as having the veins sticking out. Remember, a body like a Greek god should look like a kind of living statue, not a medical school cadaver.

So there you have it - the answer to the question posed by the title of this article, namely what is the Apollo body? You'll notice that I haven't spoken about any actual numbers here. With The Apollo Program, you'll learn to work out your own ideal proportions and then tailor your training to achieve them. Everyone's body is different though, and so the numbers will be very different for different people. It's impossible to give a simple answer. Instead, let's look at the next big question about the Greek god body: How do you get it?

The answer to that will have to wait for another article. I'll give you a hint though. In order to get a body like a Greek god statue, you need to start thinking like a classical sculptor. Sculptors - and indeed most artists - have a very specific way of planning and executing their work. The way they use their tools is very clever, and The Apollo Program is based on emulating that. It's a very different mindset to the typical approach used by most people in the gym, but the results speak for themselves.

*Before any pedantic art historians email me, yes I know that this particular statue, "Apollo Crowning Himself," was actually created in Italy in the 1700s. Doesn't matter; it's a beautiful example of the Greek ideal body. And very importantly, it's in one piece. (Photo courtesy of Troy Caperton, Caperton Classical Art.)