People join gyms for various reasons. Some aim to lose weight, while others aspire to gain Hulk-like muscle mass. However, a distinct group has different goals. They don’t need to lose weight or aim for bodybuilding competitions. After years of training and introspection, they seek to build a physique with aesthetics that even Greek gods would envy.
Imagine this – You’re walking down the street and see someone with such a remarkable physique that you do a double-take. If you’re like me, this happens often, and each time, I think, “If only I could teach these guys how to build a body like mine.” Today, I’m doing just that.
Okay, I might have exaggerated a bit about my physique’s awesomeness, but picture Zac Efron from Baywatch in my place. Don’t worry, I won’t mind.
What is the Perfect Physique Aesthetics Standard?
Aesthetics is subjective. While some might find Mr. O bodybuilders appealing, others may prefer a small waist and a chiseled six-pack. If you ask a protein shake connoisseur at your gym about the perfect physique, there’s an 83% chance he’ll show you an old photo of himself. So, how do we settle this debate and determine if you have the right proportions for an aesthetic physique?
Thank god for Steve Reeves. The bodybuilding legend established standards for the ideal natural body, with ratios as follows:
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- Arm size: 252% of wrist size
- Calf size: 192% of ankle size
- Chest Size: 148% of pelvis size
- Waist size: 86% of pelvis size
- Thigh size: 175% of knee size
We’d add one more standard: a body fat percentage of 12% or less. body fat percentage.
Calculating your body proportions according to Reeves’ guidelines takes effort, but so does building an aesthetic physique. Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts to achieving a body that makes others stop and stare.
Must Read: Three Basic Steve Reeves’ Bodybuilding Training Rules
Principles For Building Perfect Physique Aesthetics
Achieving an aesthetic physique doesn’t happen by accident. Follow these principles to enhance your musculature:
1. Training For Aesthetics is Different from Training For Muscle Mass
A 12-week bodybuilding program focused on muscle mass won’t necessarily carve an aesthetic physique. You don’t need 21-inch arms and a 52-inch chest for an aesthetically pleasing body. Bodybuilding is about illusions. You can build an aesthetic physique by working on muscle proportions, following an upper and lower body training split.
Related: How to Correct Muscle Imbalances – The Ultimate Guide
2. Your Diet Will Need a Major Overhaul
Building an aesthetic physique is impossible without a proper diet. You will eat nutrient-dense whole foods to meet your daily calorie needs. Additionally, you must eliminate refined and processed foods. A low-carb, high-protein, calorie-deficit diet will speed up your transformation. Also, cut out alcohol, as it interferes with carbohydrate and fat metabolism, hindering weight loss.
Must Read: How To Drink Alcohol Without Losing Muscle and Gaining Fat
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3. Building an Aesthetic Physique is Going to Take Time
Transforming your physique requires hard work and consistency, but don’t overdo it. Training breaks down muscle fibers, and muscles grow back stronger during rest. It may take 8-12 months to see significant results, so be patient and persistent.
Best Diet For Building an Aesthetic Physique
Diet is crucial for improving aesthetics. Here’s a sample diet plan for someone weighing 180 lbs:
Meal 1
- 2 eggs (150 calories, 14g protein, 1.5g carbs, 10g fat)
- 1 cup oatmeal (160 calories, 6g protein, 27g carbs, 3g fat)
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (180 calories, 8g protein, 6g carbs, 16g fat)
Meal 2
- 1 scoop whey protein (120 calories, 24g protein, 3g carbs, 1.5g fat)
- 1 cup skim milk (90 calories, 9g protein, 12g carbs, 0.5g fat)
- 100 grams frozen blueberries (60 calories, 1g protein, 14.5g carbs, 0.5g fat)
Meal 3
- 1 chicken breast (285 calories, 53g protein, 0g carbs, 6g fat)
- 1 cup low-fat yogurt (150 calories, 13g protein, 17g carbs, 4g fat)
- 1½ banana (105 calories, 1.5g protein, 27g carbs, 0.5g fat)
Meal 4
- 1-ounce almonds (160 calories, 6g protein, 6g carbs, 14g fat)
Meal 5
- 4 ounces tuna (145 calories, 27g protein, 0g carbs, 3.5g fat)
- 1 whole wheat tortilla (130 calories, 4g protein, 26g carbs, 1.5g fat)
- 1 cuplettuce (7 calories, 1g protein, 1g carbs, 0g fat)
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes (15 calories, 1g protein, 3.5g carbs, 0g fat)
- 1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise (15 calories, 0g protein, 2g carbs, 1g fat)
Meal 6
- 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (160 calories, 28g protein, 6g carbs, 2.5g fat)
- ½ cup pineapple (40 calories, 0.5g protein, 10g carbs, 0g fat)
Total Nutrients
- Calories: 1972
- Protein: 200g
- Carbs: 162.5g
- Fat: 64.5g
Best Aesthetics Training Program
Building an aesthetically appealing physique requires a high-rep and high-intensity training program. Keep rest durations below 60 seconds. Follow an upper and lower body training split to enhance muscle proportions, symmetry, and definition.
12-Week Aesthetics Training Schedule
The aesthetics workout schedule consists of three training sessions per week, with rest days between each session. Here’s a breakdown:
Week 1
- Monday: Upper Body Workout A
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Lower Body Workout A
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper Body Workout B
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Week 2
- Monday: Lower Body Workout B
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Upper Body Workout C
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Lower Body Workout C
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Week 3
- Monday: Upper Body Workout D
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Lower Body Workout D
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper Body Workout A
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Week 4
- Monday: Lower Body Workout B
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Upper Body Workout C
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Lower Body Workout D
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Week 5
- Monday: Upper Body Workout B
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Lower Body Workout A
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper Body Workout D
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Week 6
- Monday: Lower Body Workout C
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Upper Body Workout A
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Lower Body Workout A
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
Repeat the same weekly training routine for weeks 7-12. The aesthetics training program provides enough variety and ensures you never get bored of your workouts.
12-Week Aesthetics Workout Program Exercises
Now that we have discussed the 12-week aesthetics training schedule, let’s go over the exercises you will be performing.
Sure, here is the converted workout plan into a table format:
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Upper Body Workout A
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Chest: flat barbell bench press | 4 sets of 6–8 reps |
| Back: bent-over barbell row | 3 sets of 6–8 reps |
| Shoulders: seated dumbbell press | 3 sets of 8–10 reps |
| Chest/triceps: dips | 3 sets of 8–10 reps |
| Back: pull-up | 3 sets of 8–10 reps |
| Triceps/chest: lying dumbbell triceps extension | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Biceps: incline dumbbell curl | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
Upper Body Workout B
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Shoulders: overhead press | 4 sets of 6–8 reps |
| Chest: incline dumbbell bench press | 3 sets of 8–10 reps |
| Back: one-arm cable row | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Shoulders: cable side lateral raise | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Rear deltoids/traps: face pull | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Traps: dumbbell shrug | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Triceps: seated overhead tricep extension | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Biceps: machine preacher curl | 3 sets of 12–15 reps |
Upper Body Workout C
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Chest: barbell bench press | 3 sets of 6-10 reps |
| Back: barbell bent-over row | 3 sets of 6-10 reps |
| Shoulders: seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Back: lat pulldown | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Chest: low cable chest fly | 2 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Biceps: dumbbell curl | 2 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Triceps: overhead dumbbell tricep extension | 2 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Shoulders: rope cable face pull | 2 sets of 15-25 reps |
Upper Body Workout D
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Back: pull-up | 3 sets of 5-10 reps |
| Chest: incline dumbbell bench press | 3 sets of 8-10 reps |
| Shoulders: standing barbell push press | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Back: cable straight arm pull-down | 3 sets of 10-15 reps |
| Chest/Triceps: bodyweight push-up | 2 sets of 10-20 reps |
| Biceps: EZ-bar bicep curl | 3 sets of 10-15 reps |
| Triceps: dumbbell tricep kickback | 3 sets of 12-15 reps |
Lower Body Workout A
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Legs: barbell back squat | 4 sets of 6–8 reps |
| Legs: leg press | 3 sets of 8–10 reps |
| Quadriceps: seated leg extension | 3 sets of 10-12 reps |
| Quadriceps: dumbbell walking lunge | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Calves: calf press on leg press | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
| Abs: decline crunch | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
Lower Body Workout B
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Back/hamstrings: barbell deadlift | 4 sets of 6 reps |
| Glutes: barbell hip thrust | 3 sets of 8-10 reps |
| Hamstrings: Romanian dumbbell deadlift | 3 sets of 10–12 reps |
| Hamstrings: lying leg curl | 3 sets of 10-12 reps |
| Calves: seated calf raise | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
| Abs: leg raises on Roman chair | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
Lower Body Workout C
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Legs: back squat | 3 sets of 6-10 reps |
| Glutes: glute-ham raise | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Quadriceps: alternating forward lunge | 3 sets of 10-15 reps |
| Hamstrings: lying hamstring curl | 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Calves: standing Smith machine calf raise | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Abs: reverse crunch | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
| Abs: cable crunch | 4 sets of 12–15 reps |
Lower Body Workout D
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Legs: leg press | 3 sets of 8-12 reps |
| Hamstrings: Romanian deadlift | 3 sets of 8-10 reps |
| Quadriceps: Smith machine lunge | 3 sets of 8-15 reps |
| Quadriceps: leg extension | 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps |
| Calves: seated machine calf raise | 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps |
| Abs: hanging leg raise | 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps |
| Abs: Russian twists | 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps |
Supplements
Supplements can significantly impact your transformation, especially for beginners or intermediate lifters. These supplements can help fill macro and micronutrient gaps in your diet:
- Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs): Plays a crucial role in building and repairing muscles.
- Whey Protein Powder: Enhances muscle protein synthesis and increases muscle mass and strength.
- Pre-Workouts: Help you push your limits in the gym & come in various targeted formulas.
- Fish Oil: Supports heart health, aids weight loss, and improves joint function.
- Zinc: Strengthens the immune system and reduces muscle inflammation.
- Citrulline Malate: Enhances weight training performance.
- Creatine: Boosts strength, increases lean muscle mass, and speeds up muscle recovery during exercise.
Wrapping Up
Track your progress throughout the aesthetics training program. Monitoring allows you to adjust as needed. Patience, persistence, and hard work are key to achieving a Greek god-like physique. We can’t wait to see your transformation.
Good luck!
Next Read: Zac Efron Baywatch Diet and Workout Program
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