Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan Review

Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan won’t sculpt your stereotypical “modern” build. But that’s probably for the best — 42.5% of Americans are obese … and dad bods are trending.

Instead, this program is a time warp to 900 B.C. Greece, where gods like Zeus, Apollo, and Hercules were the epitome of “aesthetic.”

The so-called “Swoldier” claims his own training regimen inspired this eight-week intermediate program. So does the routine unlock the classic, defined, symmetrical Greek God physique?

Let’s find out!

Let’s Set the Stage First…

How you doing? I’m Kyle, the founder of Noob Gains.

Thanks for stopping by! ????

I wanted to jump in here to basically spoil the review… you ready?

We rate Steve Cook’s Modern Physique 8-Week Training Plan 8.0 out of 10.

That’s pretty good!

While it’s true that Cook’s program can help you get in better shape, I just wanted to let you know that this program isn’t what we recommend for beginners.

If you’re new to fitness and want to build a lean and muscular body that draws attention…

Without spending more than 3 days per week in the gym…

Without sacrificing free time to play video games or watch Netflix…

And without giving up your favorite foods…

Then you should check out Superhero X12 by Fit Mole.

Here’s why:

First, Modern Physique eats up your free time and has your working out 6 days per week.

That’s 5 gym sessions + 1 “active rest” per week.

Granted, if you take away the active rest, you’re still left with 5 workouts per week.

But hey, wouldn’t you rather hit your workouts hard in fewer sessions?

Superhero X12 shows you how to transform your body in as few as 3 workouts per week.

Feature	Superhero X12	Modern Physique
Beginners
Intermediates
Workouts	3x /week	6x /week
Flexible Meal Plan
Private Facebook Group
Mindset Guide
2-Day Workout Option
	Learn More	Learn More

There are no unnecessary exercises and no time wasted.

If you can commit to 3 hours of training each week, you can create a great-looking physique. (And maintain it year round!)

This isn’t even mentioning the bonus 2-day workout that’s included when you sign-up. (If you’re super busy)

Second, Steve Cook’s program recommends you eat 5 small meals per day.

Bodybuilders have said for decades that you need to “eat multiple small meals throughout the day to build muscle”.

But guess what? The science doesn’t back this up.

For instance, evidence suggests it doesn’t really matter if you have protein coming in every 2-3 hours, and muscle maintenance is also unaffected by meal frequency.

Do you want to spend your free time portioning brown rice and packing tupperware containers? I didn’t think so!

Superhero X12 shows you how to build muscle by eating as many meals as you want and including your favorite foods every day.

Do you know why young guys just like you are getting noticeable results on SX12?

It’s because the nutrition plan is easy to follow over the long term and doesn’t turn your meals into chore

You don’t have to force down, bland, tasteless meals 5 times a day.

You can eat your favorite foods when you want to eat them.

Finally, with Modern Physique, you’re doing 5 cardio sessions per week. 

Now… I get it. To build a “modern physique” you need to look lean…

And cardio is one of the tools to help you get there.

And I’m definitely not saying that cardio is bad. That would be stupid. Doing cardio makes your body more efficient and healthy.

But 5 cardio workouts per week? Yikes.

What if you just want to put in the minimum effort that doesn’t leave you in a pool of sweat and still see a chiseled six pack when it’s all done?

Well, Superhero X12 shows you how to get a great body with the least amount of effort (and cardio).

This program uses the 80/20 principle to hone in on the most effective methods with the least psychological resistance to build a shredded body that meshes easily with your current daily routine.

You don’t have to turn your life completely upside down to get in great shape.

SX12 shows you how to do it so training revolves around you (not the other way around).

This means shorter workouts, with less cardio.

It’s for these reasons that we recommend Superhero X12:

• Save your free time by working out only 3 days per week
• Eat foods you like WHEN you like and still get in great shape
• Use the least amount of effort to build an awesome-looking body

But you don’t have to take my word for it.

I’m just a stranger on the internet.

Check out Superhero X12 and see what you think for yourself.

About the Creator – Steve Cook

The Idaho-born-and-raised Steve Cook was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps — an athletic director, coach, and inspiration to the future Mr. Olympia contestant.

His journey to becoming “Big Man on Campus” began during early childhood. Cook was a self-described avid wrestler and regular record-setter in the high school weight room.

His athletic prowess led him to clinch a spot on Dixie State’s football roster (Division II). But by 23, Cook’s once-promising NFL dreams crumbled alongside his marriage and degree pursuit.

The epic “glow-up” that followed included:

• Winning the Muscle & Fitness male model search
• Finishing his bachelor’s degree
• Becoming an official spokesperson for brands like Optimum Nutrition
• Earning a cover slot on multiple magazines, including Men’s Fitness
• Placing top-ten at Mr. Olympia (twice)

His whirlwind success story spiraled into digital fame — with over 2.5 million Instagram followers and half a billion YouTube views — and a role as the newest trainer on The Biggest Loser.

What is Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan?

If you trust the program’s BodyFit intro, “This is how the Swoldier built his best-ever physique!” But if you’re a realist, you know a body like Steve Cook’s takes eight years, not eight weeks.

Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan is an intermediate bodybuilding routine that promises the symmetry, strength, muscle, and definition of the “modern” aesthetic physique.

This eight-week-long “train like Steve himself” program leans on eight pillars of bodybuilding:

• Strength
• Power
• Symmetry
• Muscularity
• Flexibility
• Endurance
• Definition
• Athleticism

If you’ve already mastered the “Big Three” lifts — bench press, deadlift, and squat — and strive to become an all-around better athlete, this upper/lower/cardio routine is worth a second look.

But the burning question is, does it work?

Program Details & Features

The bodybuilding circle is notorious for slapping high-profile names like Jay Cutler and James Grage onto programs and backing them up with weak promises, like:

Trust me … if you want to look like this (*vaguely gestures toward an ultra-muscular physique that literally appears on magazine covers*), you need to follow this eight-week routine.

Let’s be honest, it’s tough not to get excited about a program when it’s branded by Jim Stoppani or Mike O’Hearn.

But is the Modern Physique program leading you on? Find out below!

Main Page

The Main Page tab is basically a Q&A-style preview of the program ahead. If you’re looking for the TL;DR version of it:

• What equipment do you need? Free weights, classic gym machines, and a body (preferably your own) for calisthenics).
• Are there daily videos? Nope.
• Who is this program for? Anyone with intermediate-level training experience, a desire to ditch the dad bod, and the motivation to build a well-sculpted, chiseled physique.
• Is there anything out of the ordinary in this program? If you consider supersets and giant sets “unique,” then yes!
• What should you do if claiming multiple pieces of equipment at once makes you the ire of the entire gym? You have four options: stop going to Planet Fitness, avoid the gym at peak hours, split giant sets into two supersets, or use high pace sets.
• What comes next after this program? Of course, Cook recommends starting over from square one, but he also recommends other BodyFit programs (not his own).

Cook also includes a training schedule at the bottom of the page, which looks like this:

Modern Physique Workout Plan Calendar

• Day 1: Upper Body & Cardio
• Day 2: Legs
• Day 3: Rest (Active)
• Day 4: Abs & Cardio
• Day 5: Upper Body & Cardio
• Day 6: Legs & Plyometrics
• Day 7: Rest

Similar to the schedule we discovered in our review of Rise and Grind, Modern Physique has five “resistance training” workouts per week.

Leg days and true rest days are the only “cardio-free” training sessions per week.

Unfortunately, that means your legs will take a beating six straight days per week, falling short of the recommended 48–72 hours of rest between workouts for proper recovery (2019).

Workout Schedule

The Workout Schedule tab is somewhat misleading in its title; it’s not the schedule so much as the workouts you’ll follow during the Modern Physique program.

This superset and giant set-heavy routine is a mixed bag of variety.

Week one is all about that hypertrophy range (typically 6–12 reps per set). But as you progress, you’ll branch into newfound rep ranges targeting power and strength (1, 2, 3, 4, 6).

Here’s what to expect exercise-wise:

• Upper-Body: Bench press, pull-up, T-bar row, face pull, push-press
• Legs: Front squat, Romanian deadlift, hack squat, jump squat, leg curl
• Active Recovery: Yoga, martial arts, steady-state cardio (it’s your call!)
• Cardio: Elliptical (50 minutes), treadmill HIIT (14 sets), stationary bike sprints
• Abs: Kneeling cable crunch, seated bar twist, barbell roll-out, side plank

If doing the same workouts again and again (and again) bores you, this Modern Physique program will certainly keep you on your toes.

Training Guidelines

Steve Cook throws us for yet another curveball with this Modern Physique program — it’s not a “bro split” as you might expect from a new-generation bodybuilder with Cook’s build.

The Training Guidelines section outlines the program’s training principles:

• Two upper-body and two lower-body training sessions per week*
• A brief cardio session to close out most workouts**
• Ramped up intensity and reps as you progress through the program (overload)
• A brief 5–10-minute light cardio warm-up
• Selecting a weight that triggers failure at the lower end of the rep range

Cook also explains the unusual exercise terminology you’ll encounter in this program, including 1 ¼ reps, 4-second eccentric (lowering), and giant sets (four back-to-back exercises).

* Bro splits or even push-pull-legs routines tend to be more common amongst amateur bodybuilders. However, Cook’s twice-a-week frequency (2016) and 30–120 seconds of rest between sets (2009) are both well-studied training principles for hypertrophy.

** Weightlifting and cardio in the same session won’t necessarily toss the entire workout in the trash. But scientists do suggest separating the two by at least six hours to maximize the neuromuscular and aerobic benefits.

Nutrition Plan

The Nutrition Plan module centers around the fundamentals of “clean eating,” which includes bumping up your caloric intake and preparing for your next training session.

Cook briefly explains the role each macronutrient plays in building a “modern” aesthetic physique with diet tips like:

• Protein*: Eating 1 gram per pound of body weight and 25–30 grams every four hours (including a dose of slow-digesting protein before bedtime to ignite recovery)
• Carbs: Reserving 30% of your carbohydrates for the pre-workout stage and eating 1.75 grams per pound of body weight
• Fats: Fish oil (x3), avoiding high-carb/high-fat meals, eating 0.5 grams per pound of body weight, and shining a light on the positive role of healthy fats — like a boosted synthesis of muscle-building hormones (i.e., testosterone)

(He recommends mixing your post-workout shake with either dextrose or fruit juice to clear the path for nutrients entering the muscles.)

There’s also a “Where to Start” section that includes a link to a macro calculator detailing how many grams of each macro you need during phases one and two.

Cook predicts 0.5–1-pound of clean weight gain per week and includes a sample meal plan. This guide is a great “square one,” but it lacks a list of food/ingredient recommendations.

* The ACSM recommends at least 0.5–0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight for mass-building. There’s no concern about “too little” protein you’ll consume with this diet.

Supplement Recommendations

This seems like the perfect Zack Morris “time-out” moment if there ever was one.

Here goes … the Modern Physique Supplements tab is bizarrely similar to the one in Lee Labrada’s 12-Week Lean Body Trainer, almost as if it’s ripped word-for-word.

Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem; neither Labrada nor Cook “uncovered” a scientific breakthrough supplement, and the chosen supplements are popular in the fitness community.

But it does call into question whether Cook truly created and uses this routine himself or if there’s a default supplement recommendation across several BodyFit plans.

Call-out complete.

Cook (or Labrada, who knows) recommends supplements as a means of “filling the gap” leftover by an imperfect diet and training program.

He recommends these supplements as essentials:

• Whey Protein: Fuels post-workout protein synthesis and muscle recovery, especially when consumed within the 4–6-hour “anabolic window” (2013)

• Multivitamin: Filled with minerals and vitamins like vitamin B, which can improve energy levels and encourage hormone health
• Fish Oil: The scientific backing for fish oil is about half and half; a 2017 study found that fish oil could reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) by up to 42%, though a 2002 clinical trial discovered the exact opposite

… and these as optional performance boosters:

• Pre-Workout: The “secret sauce” in pre-workout is the caffeine; these powders help with concentration and energy levels during longer workouts (2016), improve upper-body strength (2018), and offer a 14% endurance boost in fatigued athletes (2016)

• Creatine: Quite well-studied, with a 2003-era scientific review concluding that creatine can increase strength by 8% and performance by 14% (vs. non-creatine groups)

• BCAAs: Rich in amino acids like leucine, BCAAs can reduce muscle soreness 48–72 hours post-training (2018) and lessen muscle protein breakdown
• Protein Bars: Assuming they’re low in fillers and aren’t candy bars in disguise, protein bars could be a more convenient grab-and-go alternative to protein powders

So there’s that.

Bonus Videos

The Bonus Videos tab is a recap of Cook’s eight “pillars” of a modern physique, though it’s unclear what exactly makes them “bonus videos” (they’re the same clips as the Schedule tab).

Cook appears in each 2–3-minute clip to explain how he structured this routine:

• Strength (2:40)
• Power (2:23)
• Symmetry (2:17)
• Muscularity (2:37)
• Flexibility (2:27)
• Endurance (1:50)
• Definition (2:23)
• Athleticism (2:42)

Will you learn anything earth-shattering or even worthwhile? Probably not. Will skipping these videos hurt your odds of sculpting a Herculean physique? Also, no.

5 Definite Benefits of Modern Physique Workout Plan

1. Most of the supplement, nutrition, and training recommendations fall in line with the latest research. It’s clear whoever made this routine (maybe Cook, maybe not) understands the basics of all three pillars of an aesthetic physique.
2. The rep, set style, exercise, and cardio variety makes this routine less repetitive than many others we’ve seen.
3. If this is truly the program Steve Cook relied on to build his “best-ever” physique, it’s clear it works as advertised.
4. If for whatever reason, your gym doesn’t have a certain piece of equipment (or claiming 2–4 pieces as “yours” will earn you dirty looks), Cook recommends alternatives — splitting giant sets or swapping in similar exercises.
5. The inclusion of supersets and giant sets can cut your training time in half or more, according to research from 2017.

4 Negatives of the Program

1. It’s unclear which bodybuilder released their routine first: Lee Labrada or Steve Cook. But the odd similarities between their supplement sections plant a seed of doubt that Cook created and uses this routine himself.
2. While Cook recommends giant set alternatives during the mid-day gym rush, this routine isn’t very Planet Fitness-friendly. You might have to adapt this routine daily and often swap in new exercises using the BodyFit exercise database.
3. A list of healthy proteins, fats, and carbohydrates is noticeably absent from the Nutrition Guide. Hopefully, you’re the proud owner of a little kitchen know-how.
4. Five cardio sessions per week are incredible on the aerobic front, and it’s not the same-old treadmill session each day. The cost? Cardio … a lot of damn cardio.

Wrapping Up This Modern Physique Workout Plan Review

Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan is quite honestly a great program for intermediate or advanced lifters looking to spice up their workouts and revitalize their gains.

The nutrition, supplement, and training guidelines simply “make sense,” and the workout variety offers a much-needed glimmer of excitement during the next eight weeks.

But it also has a few questionable blemishes.

For example, it’s impossible to know whether Steve Cook actually uses this routine, the training piece is remarkably challenging at smaller gyms, and there’s an abundance of cardio.

Overall, it’s worth a try … but you won’t be the spitting image of Steve Cook in eight weeks.

Rating: 8.0/10

But This Program Might Be a Better Fit

If you’re a beginner that wants to build a lean and muscular body that gets attention…

You might want to check out Superhero X12 instead.

Remember, Modern Physique requires you to workout 6 days a week.

Superhero X12 shows you how to change your body with only 3 workouts per week.

Feature	Superhero X12	Modern Physique
Beginners
Intermediates
Workouts	3x /week	6x /week
Flexible Meal Plan
Private Facebook Group
Mindset Guide
2-Day Workout Option
	Learn More	Learn More

Second, Modern Physique makes you follow the typical bodybuilder-style of eating 5 small meals per day.

With Superhero X12, you can eat as many meals per day as you want, and enjoy your favorite foods along the way.

Finally, Modern Physique has you doing cardio cardio sessions per week.

Superhero X12 shows you how to lose body fat and stay lean with minimal cardio.

Want to learn more?

Click here to see the main page for Superhero X12.

The post Steve Cook’s Modern Physique Workout Plan Review appeared first on NOOB GAINS.

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