Tom Platz is one of the most sought after guest speakers in the world of bodybuilding, nutrition and general fitness. He is currently a Professor and Director of Bodybuilding Sciences at ISSA. Tom has a Masters in Fitness Science, Bachelors in Science Physiology and Nutrition from Wayne State University and Michigan State University, and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California.
Tom Platz retired from professional bodybuilding competition in 1987 and did a 'Comeback' in 1995 when he was awarded Honorary Mr. America. He still promotes the sport wholeheartedly. Tom says, "I just want to give back to the sport I love which has been really great to me." He is truly a legend in the fitness and bodybuilding industry.
VITAL STATS
Name: Tom Platz
Location: Southern California
Born: 06/26/1955
Height: 5' 8"
Competitive Record
1973 Mr. Ironman - AAU
1973 Mr. Adonis - AAU
1974 Teen Mr. America - AAU, 2nd
1974 Junior & Senior State Powerlifting Championships - AAU, 220 Class Champ
1975 Mr. Michigan - AAU
1976 Mr. America - AAU, Short, 3rd
1977 Mr. America - AAU, Short, 2nd
1977 Mr. Southeastern USA - AAU
1978 Mr. America - AAU, Short, 2nd
1978 World Amateur Championships - IFBB Mr. Universe
1979 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 8th Place
1980 Night of Champions - IFBB, 12th
1980 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 8th
1980 World Pro Championships - IFBB, Mr. Universe
1981 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 3rd
1982 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 6th
1984 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 9th
1985 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 7th
1986 Mr. Olympia - IFBB, 11th
1987 Detroit Pro Invitational - IFBB, 6th
1995 Honorary Mr. America - AAU
Posted by: Doublebase
Holy crap his legs are massive.
Posted by: WilliamB
I know your trying to get as much traffic as you can but doesnt a post like this belong in open chat? Not trying to nit pick or anything but if this forum was a report this would be out of place. Alright go ahead call me a nit pick now I accept it.
Posted by: soxmuscle
the shape he was in when walking the beach is downright ridiculous..
Posted by: Ramathorn
Quote:
Originally Posted by WilliamB
I know your trying to get as much traffic as you can but doesnt a post like this belong in open chat? Not trying to nit pick or anything but if this forum was a report this would be out of place. Alright go ahead call me a nit pick now I accept it.
nit pick!
Posted by: Tha Don
Quote:
Originally Posted by soxmuscle
the shape he was in when walking the beach is downright ridiculous..
damm right!
Posted by: Prince
lets do Tom some justice!
Posted by: P-funk
he is so awesome. has it ever been documented how many inches his quads measured?
Posted by: maniclion
Is Lee Priest his son?
Posted by: myCATpowerlifts
Whats wrong with his cheeck?
I never knew, was it some kind of tumor or something?
Posted by: Tha Don
OMG his legs are insane!!
Posted by: min0 lee
The best, imagine him now!
Posted by: Musclebeach
I thought Coleman had some massive legs. His legs are amazing!!!
He also has the video of him squatting 500 for 23.
the way he built up his legs, is amazing...you can see every nook and cranny in those damn things
Posted by: Flex
Best legs ever, no question.
Posted by: Prince
I agree, even today no one has matched Platz's leg development, a few have come close.
Posted by: Mudge
Quote:
Originally Posted by min0 lee
For his time, yes.
Actually, some said his quads were larger than Paul Demayo's.
Posted by: SPIKE1257
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mudge
Actually, some said his quads were larger than Paul Demayo's.
Speaking of which..
Posted by: Prince
Tom Platz speaks:
"I really believe attitude monitors talent. You have to take what you want. There has to be a certain amount of killer instinct present. You can't take no-grow for an answer. This strategy can be applied in any venture."
"Some people like to live without too much risk. They're satisfied leading a safe existence. This attitude of caution infiltrates into their goals. Every successful athlete - or businessperson - enjoys taking calculated risks. You have to. Especially in the gym when you're squatting 500 for reps and you can't get one more but grunt out ten. Your nose starts bleeding, you fall into the rack and that's set one."
"I have thought about training sessions weeks in advance. For instance, if a big squat workout is scheduled for the middle of next month, I am aware of it as the days pass by. One-week prior I'll make sure not to walk too much or engage in any unnecessary activity. I used to plan my classes in college with minimum walking distance between them."
"After being taught sets and reps and working at it for a length of time you can't paint by numbers anymore. It must come from within. Any artist has an emotional contact with their work. A true bodybuilder doesn't just build muscle he creates muscle. You can't be a robot."
"The first thought that comes to mind when the sets become tough is that I cannot lose. I refuse to lose and be a failure. It's much more desirable to leave the gym saying, "I won!"
"It's not a competition between you and someone else. You may not do your best and still win. But when you are competing with yourself you have to beat your own record. When I was in my twenties I didn't think about it much, but when I was in my mid-thirties I came to realize my own mortality. Let me explain. In my twenties, after doing more reps than I had planned on a set of squats, I'd fall to the floor and cover my eyes. The light hurt them and it felt like there was someone stabbing knives into my legs. There was always severe oxygen debt, but I was confident I'd "come back". In my thirties I'd lie on the floor sometimes and think, "God damn! What if I don't come back?"
"Looking back, I do believe my drive to achieve this over-the-top intensity was, in a way, self-abusive. I wasn't out to kill myself. But when you're training that hard there is a certain amount of self-abuse. Normal people don't have to go through that. You don't drive a normal car excessively hard. A funny car, however, is pushed for all its worth to achieve every last bit of performance. But we learn a lot about our everyday cars from the drag strip. In the same way, we gain knowledge about the human body from pro athletes. Not everyone is psychologically able to be a pro athlete."
"I wasn't the biggest bodybuilder. There's no denying that I had some freaky body parts. But ultimately I think it was most important to me to relay the energy I found in the gym to those in the audience. Through my posing I wanted to change or add to the way people think about the gym experience."
"Arnold used to enjoy my intensity. He'd comment on the amount of energy I'd conjure up. But I played off the other people, too"
"When you promise yourself something, make a commitment, you can't give up. Because, when you're in the gym, you have to fulfill the promise you made to yourself. The people who can self motivate - in any field - are usually the ones who win. Regardless of talent."
"I used to like putting a little space between plates on the bar. They'd jingle when I came up out of a squat, making a deep-throated roar. The old 45s were the best. The sound would pass through my spine and ears. It was like a car engine revving up. It would help me time my movement. A cue to go down for the next rep."
"Six-hundred pounds (on squats) became a moderate-rep weight. One month before the '84 Olympia I did 635 for 12 reps."
"In 1993, I was just playing around with heavy weights. What we'd (him and Fred Hatfield) do is put over a grand on the bar, take it off the rack and just hold it for a count of ten or twenty. It's a great idea, but my spine couldn't handle it."
"In the process of training I'd find the exact moment of maximum tension within the muscle group and exploit it. I did what I did instinctually, and now scientific data backs it as a viable way to make muscle hypertrophy."
"I was built to squat."
"I don't believe in luck. Luck comes to men of action."
"The only aspect of my (bodybuilding) career I would change if I could would be to have calmed down a little in the off-season. I was just so enthusiastic."
"Sometimes your strongest attribute becomes an obstacle. The fact that you can focus and concentrate and nail something usually means you become very good at doing one thing at a time. The problem I've encountered is that I sometimes focus so much on one thing that I will forget everything else."
"The psychological tools I've gained from bodybuilding will never atrophy."
TOM PLATZ'S PRO CONTEST HISTORY
1979 Mr. Olympia: 8th (under 200 pounds)
1980 Grand Prix: Lafayette, Louisiana 9th
1980 Grand Prix: Pittsburgh 10th
1980 Night Of Champions: 14th
1980 Mr. Olympia: 9th
1980 Pro Mr. Universe: 2nd
1981 Mr. Olympia: 3rd
1982 Mr. Olympia: 6th
1984 Mr. Olympia: 10th
1985 Mr. Olympia: 7th
1986 Mr. Olympia: 11th
1987 Grand Prix: Detroit 6th
Posted by: SPIKE1257
Can you imagine watching this guy train legs... What a show.
Posted by: min0 lee
Quote:
"I was built to squat."
Yes he was, they should rename the squats after him..lol. The Platz.
Posted by: min0 lee
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mudge
Actually, some said his quads were larger than Paul Demayo's.
It would have been nice to see them compete against each other at both their best.
Posted by: wood90
Hi everyone did you know that Tom Plat is sell is memobillia photos, posing shorts his own medals and trophys that he won himself, I would check it out if people dont know the website, which I am sure you do its TOMPLATZ.COM
Posted by: wood90
Tom Platz has a new dvd out never seen fortage you can only buy this dvd from the man himself from his site TOMPLATZ.COM check it out
Look how he goes to complete exhaustion. This guy was so intense!
Posted by: CowPimp
Dude needs to work on his legs.
Posted by: soxmuscle
And I thought I was intense...
Posted by: JOSHBUILT
This thread is over 100% gay. If you actually read this thread, it means you are gay. If you read this post, it means you are craving a sex-change operation secretly and you really need to come out so P-funk can touch you in your little boy place and spread your boy juices all over
Posted by: min0 lee
Quote:
Originally Posted by JOSHBUILT
This thread is over 100% gay. If you actually read this thread, it means you are gay. If you read this post, it means you are craving a sex-change operation secretly and you really need to come out so P-funk can touch you in your little boy place and spread your boy juices all over
