Tom Platz is a Men's Open Bodybuilding competitor from the United States with a competitive record spanning 1979–1987.
About
Thomas Steven Platz (born June 26, 1955) is an American retired professional bodybuilder. He was known for his leg development, which in his prime measured over 76.2 cm, earning him the nickname The Quadfather.
Championship appearances
Counted from the same results table below: an appearance is one contest entered (in the years the Olympia also judged weight classes, one appearance can carry two placings), an Olympia title is the overall win in that division, and Top 3 counts first, second and third together. The last row is every professional contest on record for Tom Platz.
Mr. Olympia
All contests on record
Professional results
Every professional contest result on record for Tom Platz, 12 in all. Won by names the winner of the division Tom Platz competed in, and shows a dash where that winner cannot be pinned to one person in the database.
| Year | Contest | Division | Place | Won by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Detroit Pro Championships | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #6 | Mike Ashley |
| 1986 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #11 | Lee Haney |
| 1985 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #7 | Lee Haney |
| 1984 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #9 | Lee Haney |
| 1982 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #6 | Chris Dickerson |
| 1981 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #3 | Franco Columbu |
| 1980 | Grand Prix Pennsylvania | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #10 | Casey Viator |
| 1980 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #9 | Arnold Schwarzenegger |
| 1980 | Night of Champions | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #12 | Chris Dickerson |
| 1980 | Universe - Pro | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 | Tony Pearson |
| 1980 | World Pro Championships | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 | Jusup Wilkosz |
| 1979 | Mr. Olympia | Men's Bodybuilding (Lightweight) | #8 | – |
Where these results come from. Each contest in the table was recorded from a named source, and for Tom Platz that source is MuscleMemory. Open any contest above and that page names its own source and links to it where the source is still reachable. That archive no longer answers at the addresses we hold, so it is credited by name here and not offered as a link.
Every professional season
- Pro Debut
- 1979
- Last Contest
- 1987
Tom Platz at the Olympia, year by year
| Year | Placement | Division |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 8 | Men's Open Bodybuilding (lightweight class) |
| 1980 | 9 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1981 | 3 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1982 | 6 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1984 | 9 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1985 | 7 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
| 1986 | 11 | Men's Open Bodybuilding |
Data updated
How Tom Platz measures up
Fat-free mass index turns the height and weight on this profile into one number for how much muscle a frame carries, so a shorter competitor is not flattered by a bodyweight comparison. The normalised figure adjusts it again to a standard height, which is the version worth ranking. Both assume the 6% body fat a competitor steps on stage at, because that is the only condition the recorded weight was taken in.
The closest Olympia champion on that measure is Lee Haney, at 32.1.
What this rank is not. This database holds a height and a weight for just 463 athletes, and they are overwhelmingly the ones somebody bothered to measure: 74 of them hold an Olympia title. Almost every competitor on record carries no measurement at all. The pool also mixes every division and era together, from the lightweight women's classes to the open heavyweights, so it ranks size and nothing else. It says where Tom Platz sits among the athletes we hold measurements for, not among competitors.
Amateur and other shows not counted above
9 results from amateur shows and other contests this archive does not class as professional. Every total on this page covers the professional career only, so these are listed here but never counted, and they have no contest page.
Show the list
| Year | Contest | Division | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Short) | #2 |
| 1978 | USA World Qualifier | Men's Bodybuilding (Middleweight) | #1 |
| 1978 | World Amateur Championships | Men's Bodybuilding (Middleweight) | #1 |
| 1977 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Short) | #2 |
| 1977 | Mr Southeastern USA | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #1 |
| 1976 | Mr America | Division not recorded (Short) | #3 |
| 1975 | Mr Southeastern USA | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #3 |
| 1974 | Teen Mr America | Men's Open Bodybuilding | #2 |
| 1974 | Teen Mr America | Division not recorded (Most Muscular) | #3 |
More Men's Open Bodybuilding athletes Athletes from United States Tom Platz peak window
Most-met rivals
Compare any two athletes →In 3 meetings, Lee Haney finished ahead of Tom Platz 3 times to 0.
Opponents are ranked by how often they shared a stage and how big the stage was, not by reputation. A meeting is one contest where both competed in the same division and both were placed.
Win rate here is first-place finishes as a share of all 12 professional contest results. It is published only where a career holds at least five, because below that a single placing moves the figure by twenty points or more.
Latest Coverage
- Tom Platz Talks ‘Ferocious Mentality’ That Helped Him Master Squatting
- Tom Platz Reveals How to Break Training Plateaus
- Tom Platz Says Modern-Day Squatting Has Been ‘Bastardized,’ Shares His ‘Perfect Pure Technique’ For Long-Lasting Knee Health
- Tom Platz Says Using Higher Reps and Heavier Weights on Different Training Days is the ‘Secret’ to Bodybuilding
- Tom Platz Shows Off Strength With T-Bar Rows at 69 Years Old
- Bob Cicherillo Calls Tom Platz ‘Full of Shit’ for Lying About Steroid Use, Discusses 2025 Pittsburgh Pro Favorites

