Torso of Doryphoros (100 AD - 200 AD) by unknownKunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Want the body of a Greek god? Just ask the Greeks!
When you look at a heroic Greek statue, it is hard to not think of the word chiseled. However, it turns out that it wasn’t just the sculptors who wanted to achieve rock-hard abs. The Ancient Greeks themselves, far from being disinterested, had some pretty clear guidelines when it came to getting that demi god look.
Torso of Doryphoros (From the collection of Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien)
Body Oil Galore
Now, lathering ourselves up before hitting the gym may not sound that tempting, but the Greeks certainly thought it was. It also helped that used to work out without clothes on. There are numerous reports of the benefits of oil, from skin-tightening properties to sweat reduction which were an essential part of Greek health customs. So next time you want to pump that iron, make sure you do so in the Greek way (just don’t post it on social media afterwards).
Calisthenics: Mind and Body
Calisthenics are aerobic exercises that use body weight to build strength. Today, a walk down to Venice Beach would reveal some good examples. However, the Greeks considered Calisthenics to be about more than just aesthetics. The word can be traced back to the Greek word Kalos, meaning beauty and strength, both mental and physical. Apparently, when the Persian emperor Xerxes saw the Spartans training, he thought it looked like a mere dance class.
Heracles Killing the Birds of Lake Stymphalia (1924) by Antoine BourdelleMusée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
Heracles Killing the Birds of Lake Stymphalia, Antoine Bourdelle, 1924 (From the collection of Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon)
That Mediterranean Diet
Anyone who has ever attempted to get washboard abs will now that what you consume is key. You are what you eat, as the saying goes, but that doesn’t mean you should go and drink a six pack. The Greeks did it best with their diet of moderation. Common food included meat and fish, honey, milk, cheese and, of course, olives. However, there’s news for those bread lovers out there: ancient Greeks didn’t treat it as a staple in their diets. They often hunted their food, which is less achievable now, unless you fancy living as a hermit.
Terracotta Banquet Group Terracotta Banquet Group (ca. 3rd–2nd century B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Terracotta Banquet Group (From the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Working out when drunk
A little beer never hurt anyone. However, it’s true: hangovers can prove debilitating, and no one wants to work out whilst drunk... apart from the Ancient Greeks. According to Philostratos (about whom not much is known apart from that he loved a good workout), exercise for drunk citizens was considered a good way to sober up. As long as it wasn’t too rigorous, the sweating involved was correctly thought to rid you of the alcohol in your system. They also thought that boiled cabbage was a good solution as well. Which is worse? Not sure.
This one is definitely not recommended.
Terracotta protome of Dionysos (-350/-350)British Museum
Terracotta protome of Dionysos (From the collection of British Museum)
Have a Solid Playlist
Abs require motivation and discipline. But if you are struggling to find that within you on a given day, pumping the tunes is likely to kick you into gear. The Ancient Greeks knew this. Although they didn’t have noise cancelling headphones to drown out the treadmills, they did the next best thing. The aulos was a wind instrument that was often used to accompany the exercisers in order to raise their spirits. Each gymnasium would have had one to create rhythm and harmony between lunges and pushups. Just go with the flow.
Upper part of a limestone statuette of a female aulos player (1st quarter of the 6th century B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Upper part of a limestone statuette of a female aulos player, 1st quarter of the 6th century B.C. (From the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Hit the Ladies Only Gym
If you are a woman who wants to sculpt those abs, then this advice is still relevant. However, if you are a man, you might run up against a few issues. In Sparta, women were encouraged to work out as well as men, forming one of the most physically fit societies of all time. However, women weren’t allowed to compete in the ancient Olympics, lest they be cast down from Mount Typaeum, according to Pausanias. Instead, they took part in the Heraean Games. The prizes are said to have been olive crowns and sacrificial meat... tempting.
Bronze figure of a running girl (-520/-500)British Museum
Bronze figure of a running girl (From the collection of British Museum)
Have a Go on the Rowing Machine
According to research done in the classics and physiology departments of Royal Holloway University, the rowers of ancient Greece would have given modern athletes a run for their money. How do we know this? Well… they tried it!
On a reconstructed Athenian trireme (37m long warship), elite rowers tried to match ancient speeds, with significant difficulty. Thucydides (historian and soldier) left records which suggested that the rowers took turns, pausing to eat in shifts, meaning that the boat never stopped moving. So, next time you are on the rowers, don’t even think about stopping.
Fragment of a stone panel from the South-West Palace of SennacheribBritish Museum
Fragment of a stone panel from the South-West Palace of Sennacherib (From the collection of British Museum)
By looking at the art they left behind, you would be forgiven for thinking that it was normal to have great abs in Ancient Greece. Whilst this is unlikely to have been the case, they were an exceedingly fit bunch. So, take their advice, whether it sounds a bit mad or downright difficult. Just don’t turn up to the gym drunk, covered in body oil playing an aulos.
