“I Was Willing To Die For It” - Tom Platz on Leg Day

Tom Platz is one of the most iconic figures in bodybuilding history. He competed during the golden era of the sport and was one of the most influential figures in the sport's history to ever set foot on the stage.

He set fire to the stage when he showed up with his insane proportions and massive legs. In fact, his huge legs even earned him the nickname of 'QuadFather'.

Being gifted with a set of massive legs and equipped with a fighter's mentality, it comes as no surprise that Tom Platz absolutely loves leg day. He went on to say:

“I Was Willing To Die For It.”

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Tom Platz On Leg Day

Tom Platz's beliefs were simple: the harder you train, the better. He believed that to see results, one needs to push their body beyond limits to succeed.

He was so obsessed with training legs that you could often find him squatting 225 pounds for ten minutes straight. He would do leg curls and leg extensions for sets of 60. Yes, you read that right. 60 reps.

He clearly had a thing for high-volume training. At his peak, Platz said that he could squat 635 pounds for eight reps and 350 pounds for 50 reps. His claims might come across as outright foolish and beyond one's imagination if he hadn't filmed himself doing exactly that. However, he squatted 495 pounds for 23 reps, with impeccable form, with his thighs going parallel to the ground and everything.

Squats have always been the crux of Platz's leg workouts. He has chosen to focus on his compound lifts to build both strength and muscle instead of relying on isolation lifts like leg curls and leg extensions for the sake of aesthetics.

Platz even changed his squat form to intensify the load placed on his quads. That's to take that tension away from his overtrained hamstrings and calves, as he felt that by targeting them, they would stand out and add to the appeal of his physique.

Here are some rules set by the man himself:

• Stretch thoroughly before beginning.
• Go slowly below parallel.
• Put everything you have into every set.

Tom Platz followed a rigorous leg workout; here is a specimen workout laid out by himself:

• Squats 8-12 sets for 5-20 reps
• Hack Squats 5 sets for 10-15 reps
• Leg Extensions 5-8 sets for 10-15 reps
• Lying Leg Curls 6-10 sets for 10-15 reps
• Standing Calf Raises 3-4 sets for 10-15 reps
• Seated Calf Raises 3-4 sets for 10-15 reps
• Hack Machine Calf Raises 3-4 sets for 10-15 reps

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Takeaway

Tom Platz is one of the most influential and decorated bodybuilders of all time. He revolutionized the entire landscape of the sport by changing popular training techniques and developing his own preferred modes of exercise.

In his life beyond the stage, he has gone on to have a successful career in coaching. Platz has helped several younger bodybuilders build incredible physiques, who no doubt share the same love for leg day as the legend.