Best known for his phenomenal leg development, bodybuilding legend Tom Platz is considered one of the greatest leg trainers of all time. Beginning his competitive bodybuilding career in the 1970s, he quickly made a name for himself in the fitness industry with his impressive set of quadriceps, widely regarded as some of the best in bodybuilding history.
His legs were distinguished by their remarkable size and symmetry, and the definition of their striated muscles. This earned him the nickname “The Golden Eagle” and earned him a dedicated following of fans and aspiring bodybuilders who sought to emulate his training methods by pushing their limits and achieving new heights in leg training.
It’s no wonder, then, that the platz leg exercise remains a standout to this day, known for its high volume, heavy weights, and range of compound exercises and isolation movements that target the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
Intrigued by Platz’s legacy, I thought I’d give the exercise another go and carry it over if it really was all that was needed.
Introduction: While the Platz leg workout has gained a reputation for its intensity and effectiveness—promising to deliver impressive results—it’s important to note that training your leg muscles every day probably isn’t a great idea.
Like any other muscle group, the calf muscles require adequate rest and recovery in order to grow and develop. Overtraining can strain muscles, increase risk of injury, and stunt progress. Therefore, it is essential to balance intense leg training with appropriate rest days to allow for optimal muscle repair and growth.
However, I thought there was no harm in giving exercise a try. Here’s how you got there…
What is the Tom Platz leg exercise?
Before I get into my experience with the Tom Platz leg workout, let’s dive into what exactly it is.
There’s no denying that Tom’s famous leg routine is a grueling and demanding set of exercises. It primarily focuses on building strength and size in the lower body and includes a mix of heavy compound exercises, isolation movements, and high-volume training.
While Platz’ exact leg routine has varied throughout his career, here are the basic elements of Platz’s leg workout and the number of sets/repetitions required of each exercise:
squatting
The cornerstone of Platz’s leg routine is a series of squats, which are performed with heavy weights and a high intensity (here are the best adjustable dumbbells if you’re still weight training at home). This compound exercise engages multiple muscle groups and stimulates overall leg development.
How do I do it: Perform 4-5 working sets of 8-12 repetitions, focusing on deepening the squat and maintaining proper form (here’s more on how to do the squat). Use a weight that is challenging enough to stimulate muscle growth.
Click on the leg
Next is the leg press, which further stresses the quadriceps while providing additional support for heavier loads. It also allows for greater isolation of the calf muscles and can be modified to target different areas of the quads.
How do I do it: Do 4-5 sets of 8-12 repetitions, gradually increasing the weight. Ensure full range of motion, as much as your flexibility allows while maintaining control. Here’s what happened when this fitness writer used leg presses daily for two weeks.
leg extensions
Another isolation exercise that makes up Tom’s rigorous routine is the leg extension, which focuses primarily on the quadriceps and provides an intense burn to the target muscles. This exercise is usually performed at high repetitions to induce hypertrophy (in short: hypertrophy of total muscle mass and cross-sectional area).
How do I do it: Use a leg extension machine and do 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions. Focus on squeezing the quadriceps muscles on top of each repetition. Here’s what happened when a fitness writer added 60 leg stretches to her daily routine for a week.
Hack the squat
Finally, we have breakout squats, which focus on the quads while also engaging your glutes and hamstrings. This variation of the squat provides an effective way to target different areas of the leg muscles.
How do I do it: Load the squat machine with the appropriate weight and do 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Focus on the mind-muscle connection, and feel the quad muscles engage and contract with each rep.
To try the workout out for myself, I’m going to do all of the above in one sitting.
I did a Tom Platz leg workout – here’s what happened
As a self-proclaimed fitness fanatic and someone who can build leg muscles relatively easily (unlike my arms, which don’t grow no matter how much I work with them), I was intrigued to try the legendary Platz leg workout. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing good in life comes without its challenges, right?
Even after five minutes into Tom’s infamous leg workout, I immediately felt the demands on my leg muscles. The combination of heavy weights and high repetitions really pushed my limits, as expected, and I could feel the burn with each set. Squatting, in particular, proved to be a very humbling experience as I struggled to maintain proper form under a heavy load.
As the workout progressed, I felt fatigued. Leg presses and squats intensified the burn in my quad muscles while the leg extensions provided a targeted, isolated contraction.
The overall volume of the workout was demanding to say the least, and I had to push myself mentally and physically to complete each set—especially towards the end. I made sure that I was only able to complete the last rep of each set to get the most out of it.
Needless to say, the Platz was without a doubt one of the most challenging leg exercises I’ve ever done. I would never focus only on my legs while visiting the gym. Since my legs are probably the most muscle-dense area of my body, I’ve always mixed leg workout days with another opposing area, like the shoulders. The intensity and focus required to perform the exercises made me feel completely accomplished, but completing them was also very satisfying. I can’t say the same about the DOMS that followed in the days that followed, though…
So. Would I do it again?
While Tom Platz’s leg workout provided an intense workout and was proven to be effective—especially when it came to post-gym pump—I’d approach it with a grain of salt. Large size and heavy weights require a very high fitness level and overall leg strength.
The main thing here is to listen to your body and realize the importance of balanced training something this workout does not.
However, if you are determined to do so, I recommend starting slowly and gradually increasing the intensity while ensuring adequate rest and recovery to avoid overtraining and potential injuries.
Remember, it is not recommended to exercise your calf muscles daily, as they require time to repair and grow. Incorporating the principles of the Tom Platz leg exercise into your routine can certainly be beneficial, but it should definitely be done in moderation.
More Tom’s guide
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