October 13, 2024

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Healthcare Enthusiast

How Build a Godlike Physique

How Build a Godlike Physique

With the likes of Jeremy Allen White using workouts inspired by the ancient Greeks to get him in Iron Claw shape, it seems everyone is turning to the principles set in the Roman Empire to influence their workouts for Herculean strength (and size).

It can’t be denied, the gladiators of the time were stacked, archaeologists have even confirmed it. After their incorporation into the Roman Empire, the ancient Greek physicians spent their hours training gladiators to be in peak condition with their tried and tested techniques, one of which was something called the ‘Tetrad’ workout plan. This was a four day cycle to encourage strength and muscle gain and was one of the first recorded versions of periodised training.

If you tend to go too hard, burn out, and lack consistency in your training, this method could be for you. Allow us to break down the Tetrad workout plan, the exercises used and how to take inspiration from it for your own training — no sword wielding combat required.

hard push ups training

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What Is the Tetrad Workout Plan?

The Tetrad (or Tetrades) was a 4-day training cycle for gladiators. Philostratus, a Greek philosopher of the time, explained it quite simply: ‘By the tetrad system, we mean a cycle of four days, each one of which is devoted to a different activity.’

He outlined the 4-day cycle as:

  • Day 1: Prep – ‘The first day prepares the athlete. Regarding exercise of the first day, it is made up of short, intense movements which stir up the athlete and prepare him for the hard workout to follow on the next day.’ This could be short intense bursts of exercise, similar to high intensity interval training and plyometrics.
  • Day 2: Trial – ‘The second is an all-out trial. This strenuous day is an all-out test of his potential.’ This could be your heavy compound lifts.
  • Day 3: Rest – ‘The third is relaxation. The third day employs his energy in a moderate way,’ This does exactly what it says on the tin, a rest day. Ancient Greeks also practiced breathework on these relaxation days.
  • Day 4: Skill – ‘The fourth is a medium-hard workout. While on the day of the medium workout or last day, the athlete himself practices breaking holds and preventing his opponent from breaking away.’ This could be accessory lifts or working on your weaknesses or technique.

What Exercises Did Ancient Greeks Do?

It seems that the Ancient Greeks could have been the original hybrid athletes. Claudius Galen (c.130 AD – c.210 AD), who was a physician to the gladiators of the time, said that those who work out at the palestra [wrestling school or gymnasium] tend toward being muscular rather than toward the pursuit of excellence. He believed that many have become so weighed down that they have difficulty breathing.

‘Perhaps you will suppose that I recommend running and I assert that everything should be practiced in moderation. Accordingly, I do not approve of running with which people slim their bodies and in which they gain no practice of manly spirit,’ said Galen. In other words, he wasn’t impressed with gaining muscle mass at the cost of athleticism, nor endless cardio while sacrificing strength and muscle mass.

The Ancient Greeks used dumbbells made from stone called ‘Halteres’. They used these for exercises such as bicep curls, lunges and deadlifts. Galen recommended exercises with a medicine ball which, according to him, ‘produce a healthy body and a balance between the various parts of the body, and along with that, a fine spirit.’

MH says: Medicine ball exercises work the full body, while improving cardio when programmed with that intention.

weightlifting strong man on a gym

zeljkosantrac//Getty Images

Workouts of Ancient Greece largely focused on:

Aside from lifting and carrying stones, athletes relied on their own bodyweight to build muscle and strength with moves such as press-ups, lunges and pull-ups.

The people of Ancient Greece practiced concepts that are still fundamental to muscle gain in 2024 like progressive overload.

MH says: This means to continuously increase weights (or other variables) over time as you adapt and get stronger.

Evidence of this was the legend of Milo of Croton, who developed his strength by lifting a calf everyday. He continued the process as the calf grew larger, which is essentially the principle of progressive overload. But, before you go breaking into your nearest dairy farm for those Milo gains, we’ve made a more accessible Tetrad inspired workout plan for you to try.

Of course, the ancient Greek workout routines aren’t exactly the pinnacle of fitness knowledge, so we’ve added some of our secret sauce to upgrade the plan used by the Gladiators so that’s it’s a little more suitable for your local gym.


Tetrad Inspired Workout Plan

Here is a 4-day workout routine inspired by the gladiators of the roman empire to include in your training.

DAY 1: Prep

box jump

Box Jumps

x3 reps, 5 sets

You’re aiming for explosive and high reps here, instead of endless box jumps for cardio. Stand in front of a box, with your feet hip-width apart. Jump on top, landing with both feet as softly as possible and bending your knees slightly to absorb the impact. Step back down, ready to repeat.

press up, arm, plank, fitness professional, chest, joint, leg, muscle, knee, abdomen,

Plyo Press-Ups

x5 reps, 5 sets

Hit a strong plank position, with your core tight and hands under your shoulders. Bend your elbows to bring your chest to the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body as you push back up explosively so that your arms straighten and hands leave contact with the floor. As you descend, go straight into your next rep.

med ball slam

Medicine Ball Slams

x10 reps, 3 sets

Squat down and grab a ball with both hands. Stand up explosively and lift the ball overhead. Extend your hips and knees and come up onto your toes. Contract your abs and slam the ball down to the ground as hard as possible. Repeat, keeping each rep explosive.

leg, shoulder, joint, human leg, standing, elbow, knee, muscle, carmine, barechested,

Sprints

x 20 seconds on, 40 seconds off, 10 sets

Complete an all-out-effort sprint for 20 seconds. Take your recovery time, you should need it.

DAY 2: Trial

deadlift exercise

Deadlift

x3-5 reps, 5 sets

Walk your shins to the bar with your feet underneath your hips. Send the hips behind the heels and reach your hands towards the bar. Your shoulders should be over the bar and middle foot underneath. Keeping your back and head in line, retract the shoulder blades while holding your torso rigid to create tension between you and the bar. Push the floor away from you while keeping the bar close. Lock out the hips without sending the weight back and reverse the movement.

barbell bench press

Bench Press

x8-12 reps and 3 sets

Lie back on a flat bench holding a barbell in the rack above you with a shoulder-width, overhand grip. Breathe in and lower the bar slowly until it skims the middle of your chest. Push the bar back to the starting position explosively as you breathe out, ready to repeat.

pendlay row

Pendlay Row

x3-5 reps, 3 sets

Hinge over and grip the bar. Keeping your back straight and parallel to the ground, explosively row the bar up and into your hips, before lowering the bar back to the ground. You don’t need to control the weight on the descent, these should be heavy and powerful.

barbell back squat

Back Squat

x8-12 reps, 3 sets

Stand with your feet a little wider than your hips. Keep your chest proud and your core locked. Sink your hips back and descend into a squat while the knees travel in line with the toes. At the bottom of the squat, the thighs should hit parallel or lower and your elbows should come in between your knees. Drive back up, driving through the heels and tensing your glutes at the top. Repeat.

strict press

Overhead Press

x3-5 reps, 3 sets

Hold the barbell in the front-rack position with your elbows high. Take a breath and brace your core. Press the barbell overhead, while keeping the chest open. Lower under control to your shoulders and repeat.

carry

Farmer’s Carry

x30 metres, 30 seconds rest, 5 sets

Complete with olympic rings and plates, or a set of heavy dumbbells. Stand tall with your weights in each hand. Let your arms hang freely at your sides, take a deep breath into your core and begin a fast, deliberate march. When you reach a 15-metre mark, get your composure, turn around without letting the weights swing and head back.

DAY 3: Rest Day

Check out our guide to breathwork here and guide to meditation here. If you would really like to do some low(ish) intensity movement, try rucking.

DAY 4: Skill

pull ups

Pull-Ups

x8-10 reps, 3 sets

Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip over shoulder-width apart. Lift your feet from the floor, hanging freely with straight arms. Pull yourself up by flexing the elbows while pinching your shoulder blades together. When your chin passes the bar, pause before lowering to the starting position.

leg exercises, leg workouts

Pistol Squat

x5 reps each side, 3 sets

Stand with your feet in a narrow stance and lift one leg off the floor. Bend your standing knee to squat down as low as you can while keeping your back straight. Push back up to the start position through your heel, ready to repeat.

leg, human leg, human body, chin, chest, shoulder, physical fitness, standing, joint, wrist,

Dips

x8-10 reps, 3 sets

Grab your bars with your palms facing inward and your arms straight. Slowly lower until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they stay tucked against your body and don’t flare out. Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat.

bicep curls

Bicep Curls

x10-15 reps, 3 sets

Stand tall with the dumbbells hanging in front of you, palms facing away. Curl both dumbbells upwards until your thumbs almost touch your collarbone, keep the elbows close to your waist. Lower both bells ready to repeat.

human body, human leg, shoulder, standing, elbow, physical fitness, joint, chest, shorts, playing sports,

Medicine Ball Wood Chops

x5 reps each side, 3 sets

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the medicine ball at one hip with both hands, the torso twisted and keep your arms straight. Use your legs to power the movement and rotate at your waist while you explosively lift the ball up above your shoulder to the opposite side. Control it at the top and reverse the movement, ready to repeat.

Headshot of Kate Neudecker

Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.