“The Quadfather” Tom Platz still maintains remarkable leg development at 68 years old. In an Instagram post, Platz showed off his quad definition to celebrate his recent birthday.
Platz was known for his powerful and sculpted legs as a Pro during his career. He built a following for himself in the AAU circuit. At that time, Platz began to showcase unique and diverse training methods, which inspired countless athletes after him. He honed his craft inside the famous Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California.
Some notable athletes have taken valuable lessons from Platz’s mentorship. Even six-time Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates. Platz remembers teaching Yates about his training and diet during a seminar decades ago and he was happy to see ‘The Shadow’ take his teachings to heart.
In addition to his intense training techniques, Platz proved successful on stage, having claimed the Mr. Universe crown in 1980. Throughout an active tenure, Platz shared the stage with heavy hitters of past eras such as seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger and eight-time winner, Lee Haney.
A trailblazer of advanced leg training, Platz proved himself in and out of competitions. His popularity only grew after taking part in a squat contest against Fred Hatfield in the 90s, but he came up short. He later got revenge at the 1992 ‘The Great American Squat Off’ where he and Hatfield found success.
During the event in Essen Germany, Platz achieved a major feat when he squatted 525 pounds for 23 reps. He did this in a direct showdown with Hatfield, who managed 11 reps with the same weight. However, Platz’s legendary squat record was broken in May by the reigning World’s Strongest Man, Mitchell Hooper. Hooper completed 24 reps of 525 pounds.
Tom Platz Turns Back Clock With Impressive Quad Update for 68th Birthday
Check out Platz’s quad update below:
People online were blown away by Tom Platz’s legs.
Fans respect Tom for his transparent nature regarding all aspects of the sport, including performance-enhancing drug use. Having competed in the Golden Era, Platz said he took the ‘very minimum’ and utilized a two-compound cycle, which consisted of Winstrol and Deca-Durabolin. While Platz admits he could get shredded without the use of anabolics, he emphasized that they were necessary for athletes attempting to achieve a ‘saran wrap look’ in his heyday.
Bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger has also come out and talked about his Mr. Olympia-winning cycle. The 75-year-old icon stressed that he only used two compounds as well, which he said were testosterone and Dianabol.
According to other bodybuilding veterans, the steroid dosages have changed drastically since their last time on stage. Rich Gaspari who competed mostly in the 1990s, said athletes depend on drugs more than hardcore training nowadays. Meanwhile, Lee Haney has mentioned that Open competitors are ’60 pounds overweight’ because they’re consuming too much food.
This wasn’t Tom’s first quad update. He’s taken considerable measures to maintain muscularity and fullness in his lower body despite getting older. In April, he gave fans a sneak peek at his ‘work in progress.’
RELATED: WATCH: Tom Platz Shares His Secret To Historic Calves in Q&A
While the sport has certainly undergone changes since Platz’s era, he still treats his training sessions the same. His latest update serves as motivation for fans given that leg training is widely considered to be one of the most taxing forms of exercise.