Tom Platz Discusses Gym Motivation and Attire, Says He Wore High Socks to Make Squatting Easier: “It Made Me Feel Shorter”

Tom Platz has never been afraid to speak his mind and always brought a unique flair to his workouts. In a recent Instagram post shared on September 18, 2024, Platz explained why he wore pink sweats and credited high socks for helping him squat more effectively because he felt shorter. 

 “When I’m really seriously training in the gym, I’m covered up. I’m covered up all the time. I wasn’t in the gym to show off. ” 

Throughout the 1980s, Tom Platz solidified a top-notch résumé in the sport. He used his powerful lower body and huge quads to overwhelm his competition. His strength transcended the bodybuilding stage, as he held the 1992 squat off record of 525 pounds for 23 reps, which remained unbroken for more than two decades until former World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper bested him by just one repetition. 

Platz was never short on motivation or discipline, having proved as much with victories over massive names such as Samir Bannout, Ed Corney, Mohamed Makkawy, and Bertil Fox. Many fans have wondered how Tom Platz managed to pull off such jaw-dropping feats of strength, especially while squatting and now we have some answers. 

Why Tom Platz Squatted Better in High Socks and Embraced Pink Sweats in the 1980s

According to Platz, he wore high socks to the gym because it made him feel shorter, leading to better squats. This could be because feeling shorter meant he had to move the barbell over a smaller distance, making it seem easier to execute. 

“I was in the gym to get business done. Well, early in my career when I was in college, I just started squatting. I would wear shorts, you know the old gym shorts that we went to gym class in with high socks. It made me feel shorter to squat. It made me think I was shorter and I squatted better.” 

These measures helped Platz build his name in the sport. For the majority of his bodybuilding career, Platz kept covered up at the gym, often wearing long pants or pink sweats to cover his dominant lower body. 

“But for most of my career, I always wore sweats. I always wore long pants in the gym. I used to like girl sweats. Like pink sweats in the 80s. I didn’t even realize it was — I just thought it was different and I liked it. It made me smile, pink. I remember talking to Eddie Guiliani who passed away as well as Tony Nowak, they were in the gym in the mornings and they would laugh at me for wearing pink sweats.” 

“They told me this way after I retired. They would laugh and giggle and Eddie Guiliani would say ‘Tony should we say something to him?’ And Tony would say, ‘No, no, no. It’s Tom Platz, don’t say anything,” shares Tom Platz. 

Find the video below: 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAB-UVTtiQw/?igsh=MjV6YjVkNjhzeXhz

This wasn’t the first time Tom Platz brought up how he approached squatting movements. He’s been open about the difficulty of performing high-volume, having shared insight into his squat of 405 pounds for 50 reps. In his mind, he divided the repetitions into five sets of 10 so he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the intensity of the workout. 

From breaking down the benefits of squatting fast versus slow to discussions about what he wore during training, Tom Platz was a trailblazer in the IFBB Pro League. Even today at 69 years old, he offers fellow athletes and fans inspiring motivation and strategies for leveling up in the gym. 

RELATED: Tom Platz Talks Diet in Early Years and Transforming His Lower Body With Squats: “I Had No Legs Initially”

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