The Tom Platz Leg Workout: Building Legendary Legs

When individuals discuss leg improvement, one of many first names that pops up is Tom Platz. He’s famously often known as “Quadzilla” due to his astonishingly developed leg muscle tissues and insane leg exercise routine. 

Regardless of by no means actually being on the prime of his sport, Tom noticed some notable success and have become broadly well-liked for his intense leg coaching. For individuals who are devoted sufficient and perhaps slightly loopy, I am going to use this text to interrupt down Tom Platz’s leg exercise, exploring its advantages, workouts, and ceaselessly requested questions.

Desk of Contents

• Tom Platz’s Leg Exercise
• Who’s Tom Platz (Quadzilla)?
• Advantages of Tom Platz’s Leg Exercise
• Continuously Requested Questions
• Ultimate Ideas

Tom Platz’s Leg Exercise

If you wish to have the perfect decrease physique, you need to practice just like the monster Tom Platz is. This complete exercise will work each muscle within the legs to develop them. 

It’s value mentioning that even in the event you did this exercise each leg day, you could not nonetheless see the identical outcomes that Tom Platz noticed. There are different issues to think about, like genetics, way of life, diet, and different contributing elements. 

Together with your expectations extra reasonable, let’s break down the exercise. 

• Again Squat: 8-12 units x 5-20 reps
• Hack Squat: 5 units x 10-15 reps
• Leg Extension: 5-8 units x 10-15 reps
• Leg Curl: 6-10 units x 10-15 reps
• Standing Calf Increase: 3-4 units x 10-15 reps
• Seated Calf Increase: 3-4 units x 10-15 reps

1. Again Squats

On the subject of compound actions, back squats are among the many finest for constructing general energy and bettering muscle engagement. They permit for heavier masses, construct quads and glutes, and strengthen stabilizer muscle tissues. 

The wonderful thing about again squats is which you could change the emphasis on which muscle tissues are being centered by altering your stance and foot placement. 

Tom Platz is a large advocate for a shoulder-width stance, with knees above the toes.¹ This permits for an elevated vary of movement and actually prompts the quads. 

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Arrange a barbell in a squat rack at or simply under shoulder top and cargo it with an applicable weight that challenges you however would not trigger you to interrupt kind.
2. Stand below the bar, ft shoulder-width aside, and grip the bar with each fingers a bit wider than shoulder-width.
3. Raise the bar from the rack and take a pair steps again to make sure you have area.
4. Conserving your chest up and tightening the core, decrease your physique by bending your knees and on the hips; think about you are sitting again in a chair.
5. To squat like Tom Platz, you’ll squat right down to the very backside, also called ass to grass. If you cannot, go down till your thighs are parallel to the bottom and even barely decrease. Strive to not let your knees push previous your toes. 
6. Pause on the backside briefly after which push by your heels to return to the beginning place, absolutely extending your hips and knees.

2. Hack Squats

Machine hack squats are an unbelievable train for torching the legs with out worrying about stabilizing your higher physique. In actual fact, Tom has been quoted as saying, “Hack squats are all you want.”²

Hack squats make transferring extra weight at a better quantity simpler and use foot positions you would not normally use with free weights. Tom would put his heels collectively like a duck, which places extra of the emphasis on the Vastus Lateralis, aka teardrop muscle. 

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Place your self in a hack squat machine, putting your shoulders below the pads, and your heels collectively identified like a duck.
2. Unlock the machine and slowly decrease the platform by bending your knees; be sure that to maintain your chest up and again straight.
3. To get these Tom Platz quads, it would be best to go down as little as attainable, sustaining management all through the motion.
4. Push by your heels to start straightening your legs and return to the beginning place, avoiding locking out your knees on the prime.

3. Leg Extension

In contrast to compound actions that work a number of muscle teams, a leg extension machine helps you isolate the quads, resulting in bigger, chiseled muscle tissues. Tom Platz begins his leg extensions by going lighter however utilizing extra greater reps till failure.³

As you add extra weight, give attention to kicking excessive and absolutely contracting the quad muscle tissues, maintaining the strain the entire time. 

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Sit on a leg extension machine along with your again flat in opposition to the backrest and your ft hooked below the padded bar.
2. Regulate the machine so the padded bar rests comfortably in opposition to your decrease legs near your ankles.
3. Seize the handles on each side of the seat for stability, brace your core, and ensure your toes are pointing in the identical path.
4. Lengthen your legs by straightening your knees and lifting the burden till your legs are absolutely prolonged. 

• Tom says to overexaggerate this half and attempt to kick even greater. 

4. Leg Curls

Hamstring curls, particularly the laying down model, are extremely efficient at isolating the hamstrings, particularly the sartorius. Shockingly, Tom would not actually focus loads on hamstring coaching. 

Initially, he began with a lighter weight, going slowly and getting a full contraction. Ultimately, he labored into compelled reps for the final couple of units, which signifies that you practice them till failure after which get your exercise accomplice to assist raise the burden. 

Like quad extensions, foot placement performs an vital position in hamstring improvement. 

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Lie down on the leg curl machine along with your knees barely off the sting of the bench and the padded bar in opposition to the again of your legs, nearer to your ankles.
2. Grasp the handles for stability and brace your core.

3. Bend your knees to twist the burden in direction of your glutes, contracting your hamstrings.

• Within the above video, Tom kicks it again so exhausting that the pad hits his hamstrings.

• You probably have a accomplice, do the final couple of units with compelled reps.

5. Standing Calf Raises

Standing calf raises work your gastrocnemius and soleus, that are the higher and decrease calf muscle tissues. To get essentially the most out of this train, go heavy and get stretch within the calves between units. 

Tom says he had essentially the most success coaching his calves twice weekly on the finish of the exercise. Slowly and progressively, he would enhance the burden, together with his objective simply to carry the burden within the center place.⁴

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Stand upright on a calf increase machine or a raised platform along with your shoulders again, and core engaged.
2. Place the balls of your ft on the platform’s edge, permitting your heels to hold off.
3. Maintain onto the handles to assist with stability and stability.
4. Rise onto your toes by extending your ankles as excessive as attainable.

5. Maintain the contraction briefly on the prime, then decrease your heels under the platform’s degree.

• As soon as per week, progressively enhance the burden and simply maintain within the center place to work the calves like Tom Platz. 

6. Seated Calf Raises

Relying on foot placement, the seated calf raises goal extra of the soleus’s improvement. Identical to the standing calf raises, Tom had the perfect success constructing the burden slowly and progressively, with the objective of holding the burden within the center place.  

Specializing in a robust contraction on the prime of every rep will nonetheless result in vital positive factors for most individuals. 

Step-by-Step Information:

1. Sit on a calf increase machine along with your ft flat on the platform and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.

• Be sure that your ft are pointed in the identical path, because the angle of your ft can change the main focus of the muscle tissues focused. 

• As soon as per week, progressively enhance the burden and simply maintain within the center place to work the calves like Tom Platz.

Who’s Tom Platz (Quadzilla)?

Thomas Steven Platz, sometimes called “The Quadfather or Golden Eagle,” throughout his heyday left a mark on the bodybuilding world throughout the Nineteen Eighties. As an IFBB skilled, he took the stage in seven Mr. Olympia competitions, attaining a decent third-place end in 1981. 

He additionally claimed the celebrated title of Mr. Universe in 1980. Regardless of his reputation amongst followers and notable successes, Platz by no means fairly reached the highest of the game. 

Most individuals attribute his failure to take action to the truth that whereas he had an unbelievable physique, his decrease physique was a lot greater than his higher physique. His legacy lies in his legendary dedication and close to madness to coaching his legs, incomes him a repute as probably the most iconic figures in bodybuilding historical past. 

In contrast to lots of his opponents, Tom Platz continues to be concerned in bodybuilding and is a extremely sought-after coach. So, regardless of being in his late 60s, Tom continues to coach often, and his legs would nonetheless put most individuals to disgrace.

Advantages of Tom Platz’s Leg Exercise

1. Complete Leg Growth

Platz’s exercise targets all the most important muscle teams within the legs, guaranteeing balanced and proportionate development. By beginning with again squats, a compound raise, you goal a number of muscle teams, like quads, glutes, hamstring, and calves, whereas having greater power ranges and extra focus.

As you tire, you turn to isolation actions at excessive volumes to focus on particular muscle teams and scale back the danger of harm.  

2. Elevated Power and Muscle Definition

Platz’s routine builds purposeful energy and muscle measurement by incorporating compound actions like squats and hack squats and having a various rep vary. The broad rep vary targets the muscle teams and fibers in a different way, making your muscle tissues extra well-rounded whereas resulting in vital energy positive factors. 

Isolation workouts resembling leg extensions and leg curls assist carve out detailed muscle definition, which may considerably enhance the aesthetics of the legs.

Continuously Requested Questions

How massive had been Tom Platz’s legs?

As you have got discovered all through this text, Tom Platz’s leg measurement was legendary in bodybuilding. Throughout his prime, his thighs reportedly measured round 32 inches in circumference. 

Tom Platz had an unbelievable physique, however his huge legs had been the defining function of his physique, incomes him the nickname “Quadzilla” and making him the man individuals discuss as one of many best leg trainers in bodybuilding historical past.

How typically did Tom Platz practice legs?

Platz educated his legs twice every week, a exercise routine that some could take into account excessive, even amongst skilled bodybuilders. This dedication to leg coaching was unparalleled, and he typically pushed himself to the restrict within the pursuit of perfection in his decrease physique improvement.

For most individuals, I’d suggest beginning with one leg exercise per week, and as your restoration improves, begin implementing one other leg day each week. 

Did Tom Platz win any Mr. Olympias?

Sadly, no. Tom Platz competed in a number of Mr. Olympia competitions all through the Nineteen Eighties, together with his highest placement being third in 1981. Proportions are thought of an vital a part of bodybuilding, and whereas his physique was unbelievable, many thought of his proportions to be off.  

Making it tough for Tom ever to have an opportunity of putting greater than third. Regardless of not securing the highest spot, Platz’s affect and legacy endure, inspiring generations of bodybuilders to try for greatness in leg coaching.

How are you going to modify the Tom Platz Exercise?

A leg exercise like this may be daunting and possibly an excessive amount of to deal with in the event you’re a newbie. You may modify the Tom Platz leg exercise to fit your wants by adjusting weights and reps, various which leg workouts you utilize, altering coaching frequency, incorporating supersets or circuits, including plyometric or stability workouts, and using tempo variations.

Ultimate Ideas

Past his bodily achievements, Tom Platz’s legacy would not cease at what he did on stage. He’s an unbelievable affect as a motivator, trainer, and icon of what leg improvement can seem like while you push your self to the restrict. Whether or not you are a seasoned competitor or a novice gym-goer, incorporating parts of Tom Platz’s leg exercises into your coaching routine can result in higher positive factors and a deeper appreciation for bodybuilding.

If you wish to enhance your muscle mass and general physique, take a look at this article concerning the man, delusion, and legend Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

References

1. “Tom Platz Squat Approach Defined: 60-Second Information to Legendary Quads #Shorts #Gymnasium.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=36W5njQbf4M.
2. “TikTok – Make Your Day.” Www.tiktok.com, www.tiktok.com/@fitgenious/video/7281384491577363745?lang=en.
3. “Tom Platz Muscle Camp Legs.” Www.youtube.com, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fulA0RGzDU.
4. “TikTok – Make Your Day.” Www.tiktok.com, www.tiktok.com/@musclemindmedia/video/7238989112802397466?lang=en.

(All picture credit score to Tom Platz and unique house owners)