When you think of Tom Platz, one word comes to mind: legs. Even after 40 years, his legendary legs from the early 1980s still stand as some of the most impressive in bodybuilding history. Platz’s quads, known for their unparalleled size, shape, and definition, have solidified his status as arguably the greatest of all time. His leg photos continue to amaze even today. But beyond his incredible physique, Platz is also revered for his intense workout regimen. He didn’t just push sets to failure—he tried them beyond, into what he called “freaky type training,” a brutal method that took him to the limits of physical and mental endurance. While this extreme approach is often associated with his leg workouts, Platz applied it to every muscle group.
For the first time, The Barbell has compiled Tom Platz’s complete workout routines from sources—not just for legs, but for every body part. Along with these routines, we offer a treasure trove of quotes from Platz, diving deep into his “freaky type training” and unveiling the secrets behind his brutally effective workouts.
TOM PLATZ: THE GOLDEN EAGLE WHO ALMOST BECAME MR. OLYMPIA
Born on June 26, 1955, Tom Platz discovered bodybuilding at a young age. He placed second in the 1974 Teen Mr. America. Platz recalls his early training days: “I was trained by Olympic lifters back home in Michigan in the early ‘70s, where the squat rack was like an altar. I was taught to revere the squat and push myself so hard that I felt like my life was flashing before my eyes on the toughest sets.” With just $50 in his pocket, Platz moved to Venice, California, in 1978, where he trained at the iconic Gold’s Gym. That same year, he won his class at Mr. Universe.
Initially, Platz struggled to make a mark as a professional bodybuilder, placing eighth in the lightweight class at the 1979 Mr. Olympia and ninth overall in the controversial 1980 competition. While his legs were already exceptional, his upper body lagged.
In 1981, the 5’7” Tom Platz, also known as The Golden Eagle, shocked the bodybuilding world with a dramatically transformed physique. Weighing in at a shredded 225 pounds—30 pounds heavier than the previous year—his legs had achieved legendary status, and his upper body had expanded significantly. Many believe he deserved to win the 1981 Mr. Olympia but ultimately placed third. This strong finish and a surge in muscle magazine coverage positioned him as the favourite for the 1982 Olympia. However, fate intervened when Platz tore his right biceps tendon before the competition, resulting in a sixth-place finish. After taking 1983 off, he competed once each year for the next four years, achieving a seventh-place finish in the 1985 Mr. Olympia, but his weakened right arm remained a noticeable flaw. Although Tom
Platz never captured the Mr. Olympia title, he is celebrated decades later for his awe-inspiring legs and relentless workout intensity.
TOM PLATZ’S WORKOUT PHILOSOPHY
- Pushing Beyond Failure: Tom Platz was known for making his working sets to failure and taking them even further with forced reps, partial reps, and cheating techniques. However, he avoided this approach with squats due to safety concerns. Platz once said, “For me, the set begins when you reach failure. After that, it’s all about how much pain you can endure. How much can you torture your muscles with the help of a training partner by shortening reps or using momentum? Often, a set—like leg curls—would only end when I couldn’t move the weight even an inch. That training isn’t for everyone; most people can’t do it. But that’s what worked for me.”
- Variable Rep Ranges: Platz wasn’t afraid to experiment with rep ranges, sometimes pushing them to extreme levels. For instance, with squats—the exercise most closely associated with him—he claimed to have squatted 635 pounds for 15 reps just before the 1986 Mr Olympia, 495 pounds for 30 reps, 350 pounds for 52 reps, and even 225 pounds for 10 minutes straight, totalling well over 100 reps. While these numbers might sound exaggerated, there is video evidence of him squatting 525 pounds for 23 reps in 1992, long after his competitive days were over.
- Flexible Set Counts: Platz always wanted more sets. If an exercise was effective, he might do ten or more sets. He rarely counted sets, preferring to go by time, often spending 20-25 minutes on a favourite exercise before moving on.
- Training Frequency: In the late 1970s, Tom Platz trained each body part twice weekly and often worked out twice daily. By the 1980s, he adopted a four-days-on, one-day-off routine like the one below. Alternatively, he sometimes followed a three-days-on, one-day-off program, occasionally skipping leg days. This was because, in the 1980s, he trained his legs only twice a month while focusing more on his upper body to bring it into balance with his dominant lower half.
- Consistency and Variation: Platz focused on a few core exercises that worked best for him but constantly modified them. He explained, “Throughout my career, my training has always revolved around very few exercises. Instead of changing exercises to target different stress levels, I would change how I performed each exercise. One day, I’d do high reps and another day, I’d use heavier weights. I might change how I hold the weights or adjust my position. You can do a lot with one exercise to make it feel like 15 different ones. That’s something most people don’t realize—they’d rather change the exercise.”
TOM PLATZ WORKOUT PHILOSOPHY
Mental Preparation: For Tom Platz, the cognitive aspects of training were just as crucial as the physical. He would visualize his sets long before stepping into the gym, ensuring their completion was inevitable. Describing his approach to leg workouts, Platz said, “Mentally, I would rehearse and visualize what I was going to do for over a week in advance. The night before, I’d always eat pasta or pizza, not just for the carbs, but to increase water retention around the gut. I had my favourite sweatpants, socks, and sturdy lifting shoes.
Olympic lifters taught me as a kid that you don’t just throw on random sneakers to squat. I preferred wearing red and yellow because those colours made me feel more powerful, and my sweatpants were always skin-tight, so I felt secure and strong. However, the most important aspect was the mental rehearsal. I had already seen and done those sets of squats countless times in my mind before I even got under the bar.”
TOM PLATZ WORKOUT ROUTINE
DAY 1: CHEST (A.M.)
- Incline Dumbbell Press: 5-6 sets of 10-20 reps
- Dumbbell Fly: 5-6 sets of 10-20 reps
- Pec Deck Fly: 5-6 sets of 10-20 reps
- Weighted Dip: 3-4 sets to failure (drop sets)
Analysis: Platz emphasized maximizing the range of motion on presses, flies, and dips. His approach to dips was a prime example of his training intensity. He would start with a weight attached to a belt, remove the belt when he reached failure, and continue with just his body weight. As he fatigued, his reps would get shorter. Eventually, he’d stand on a bench and keep performing quick, fast dipping motions, forcing his pecs to work until complete exhaustion.
DAY 1: BACK (P.M.)
- Pullup: 8-10 sets of 15-30 reps
- Pulldown: 8-10 sets of 20-40 reps
- T-Bar Row: 5-6 sets of 10-15 reps
- Low Cable Row: 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps
- Dumbbell Pullover: 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps
Analysis: In 1985, writer Peter McGough observed one of Platz’s intense late-night back workouts. Platz explained his method on pulldowns: “I take a wide grip and lean back as far as possible, pulling the bar to my chest. I start unassisted, but I want you [McGough] to push the bar down to my chest as I tire.” He would then finish the set upright with a few reps to the front, continuing with assistance. Platz used the full 250-pound stack, executing 20 fast reps with his body nearly parallel to the floor. As McGough pushed the bar down, Platz shouted, “Let’s go! Wham! Wham!” and did another 20 assisted reps before switching to an upright position for a final few reps. He didn’t count sets or reps but continued these unique pulldowns for about 20 minutes.
DAY 2: SHOULDERS
- Smith Machine Military Press: 8-10 sets of 12-30 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral: 5-6 sets of 12-25 reps
- One-arm Cable Lateral: 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps
- Upright Row: 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps
- Bent-Over Dumbbell Rear Lateral: 4-5 sets of 10-20 reps
- Machine Rear Lateral: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
Analysis: Platz focused heavily on the most effective exercises, such as the overhead press. He varied the movement by pressing to the front, sometimes behind the neck, and occasionally starting behind the neck and finishing to the front.
DAY 3: LEGS
- Barbell Squat: 7-10 sets of 10-30 reps
- Hack Squat: 3 sets of 15-20 reps
- Leg Extension: 5-8 sets of 10-15 reps
- Lying Leg Curl: 5-8 sets of 7-20 reps
- Standing Calf Raise: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Analysis: Platz’s leg workouts were famously intense, emphasising squats, squats, and more squats. He avoided modern leg machines, preferring barbell squats with a narrow stance and going well below parallel on each rep. Hack squats were done with heels together, and toes angled out to focus on the outer quads, going so deep that he would roll onto his toes. Leg extensions were typically reserved for the final months before a contest. He relied solely on lying leg curls for hamstrings, avoiding seated curls and stiff-leg deadlifts. Platz pyramided up in weight to his heaviest two sets, aiming for 15-30 reps.
Platz explained his approach: “I’d work up in weight—I didn’t just start with 495 [pounds]. I might do 135 for 15 reps, 225 for 10, 315 for 10, 405 for five or six, and 495. Then, on that last set, I’d go all-out, aiming for 15, 20, 25, 30 reps—whatever I could get, accepting no limits. And then I’d do it again for another set.” He always squatted with a bodybuilder stance, well below parallel.
“On those [high] rep-sets, my attitude was that my life had to pass before my eyes,” he said. When I say your life passes before your eyes, you get ten reps, and you push for 15 or 20. It’s about conjuring up the deep-rooted emotions, passion, and energy within your body, soul, and mind to push the weight up one more time, one more time, and one more time. Doing that with heavy weights is very demanding, but I made it my goal every time.”
DAY 4: ARMS
- Standing Barbell Curl: 4 sets of 10-15 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Curl: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
- Machine Curl: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
- Pushdown: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
- Close-grip Bench Press: 4 sets of 10-20 reps
- One-arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension: 4 sets of 15-30 reps
- Barbell Wrist Curl: 4-6 sets of 20-30 reps
Analysis: Platz brought the same intensity to his arm workouts as his leg training. To prolong his sets, he would loosen his form on curls, eventually swinging the weight up to continue the reps.
ANY DAY: ABS
- Crunches: 2 sets of 100 reps
- Twists: 10 minutes
- Roman Chair Sit-up: 4 sets of 25-30 rep
Analysis: Abs could be trained at the end of any workout and were typically done several times a week, especially in preparation for competitions. Calves could also be added to other workouts. Although this ab routine might be considered outdated today (with crunches and sit-ups falling out of favour), it was adequate for Platz.
DAY 5: OFF (or light cardio)
DAY 6: Repeat the split, starting with the DAY 1 Workout
TOM PLATZ WORKOUT FAQS
How many squats did Tom Platz do?
He typically performed 7-10 sets per workout, pyramiding up to two all-out, high-rep sets.
How many times did Tom Platz rep 225 pounds?
Platz claimed to have squatted 225 pounds for 10 minutes straight, completing over 100 continuous reps.
Can Tom Platz still squat?
Absolutely. In an Instagram post, he mentioned squatting 365 pounds for five reps on the last day of 2016 at age 61. In 2023, at 67, he posted a video squatting 185 pounds for 30 deep reps, using a “lighter weight” due to a nagging injury.
Did Tom Platz do front squats?
Not regularly. His primary quad exercises were back squats and hack squats.
How much did Tom Platz squat for reps?
He was filmed squatting 525 pounds (238.2 kg) for 23 reps five years after retiring from competitive bodybuilding. At his peak, he claimed to have squatted 635 pounds (288 kg) for 15 reps and 350 pounds for 52 reps, which aligns with his documented 525 x 23 feat.
How often did Tom Platz do squats?
He squatted in every leg workout. Early in his career, this was twice a week, but later, when focusing on balancing his upper body with his dominant legs, he reduced leg training to twice a month.
What was Tom Platz’s heaviest squat?
In 1992, at a “Squat Off” event, Platz publicly squatted 765 pounds (347 kg). He claimed that squatting 635 pounds for 15 reps in 1986 equated to a potential 952-pound squat. Platz estimated that if he had trained specifically for a one-rep max at his peak, he could have squatted 850-900 pounds, which seems reasonable given his other squatting achievements.
