Bodybuilding legend Tom Platz is renowned for his extraordinary quads and intense training regimen. In a recent Instagram video shared on November 9, 2024, Platz discussed his mentality when hitting the gym, revealing that he always aimed to top his last workout and never allowed himself to get too comfortable.
Tom Platz earned the title ‘The Quadfather’ for good reason. During his bodybuilding career, Platz excelled at training his lower body, which was demonstrated further after he set the squat-off record at 525 pounds for 23 reps in 1992. This impressive feat lasted over two decades until former World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper finally broke Platz’s squat record by just one rep in 2023.
Platz has revealed several of his tricks of the trade over the years. Some of his tips may seem unconventional, including wearing high socks to make squatting easier, but ultimately his quirky methods led to his immense success within the sport.
Tom Platz Discusses His ‘Ferocious, Overwhelming Mentality’ for Bodybuilding
In his latest offering on Instagram, Tom Platz imparted wisdom to fans, revealing how his mindset played a significant factor in his workouts. Platz discussed how he was always the guy standing in his way, never satisfied until he was better than his last training session.
“Every workout, especially the squat workouts, I used to look in the mirror and point to myself and say, okay, you’re good, but I can do better. I can do better than you ever did. You hear me? I am coming after you, Tom Platz.”
“So I was the guy in my way and I realized that, and I had to really perform and give and train super hard to become better than my expectations or better than Tom Platz was before that workout session. And that’s hard. That’s really hard to do that every day because you’re not just going to the gym and pumping up, you’re not just going to talk to the girls and get a few numbers and connect with that.”
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Platz emphasized how great it felt when he finally beat his own expectations until he realized he had to do it again in the next workout.
“It’s a ferocious, overwhelming mentality that takes you over, takes over your existence and when you do beat yourself, or when I beat Tom Platz in the squat, I was like, holy smokes.
I’m so happy. Life is good. And then I, then I realized next squat workout, I have to beat him again. Oh my god. You know, that was, I put pressure on myself always, always, always. I wanted to be uncomfortable” Platz said.
However, Platz didn’t just apply this mentality to working out, he also implemented it into his day-to-day life as well.
“I’m coming after YOU, TOM PLATZ!”
“I needed to berate myself, get into the uncomfortable, do the uncomfortable, sacrifice to get to where I am today!”
“And I also applied the same mentality to my entire Life!”
Platz prioritizes others over himself believing that there is nothing more fulfilling than helping people.
“Make sure…
YOUR “so-called” GAINS don’t come from PAINS YOU CAUSED TO SOMEONE ELSE!
Sacrifice reaps Success!
Selfishness reaps Sorrowfulness.”“Get out of YOUR NEEDINESS.
Get into YOUR NECESSITY!”“There’s nothing more profound and fulfilling when someone needs you. Nothing!”
Tom Platz shared examples of how self-sacrifice played a part in his life and how he has no regrets.
“But, I learned this when I was still an adolescent, when we had to move to another state, and away from childhood friends and familiarity. My parents needed me to adjust. Very, very difficult, but I’ve #NoRegrets”
“Another time in my 20’s, my first wife had a severe drug problem. For 4+ years, I paid thousands for her rehab needs and made sure I was there for her, every day. Today, she’s still using my name and is very successful. #NoRegrets”
“Thank you.”
Tom Platz:
I’m coming for you, Tom Platz!
I pushed myself through discomfort and sacrifice to get where I am today, and I applied that mentality to my entire life.
Remember: Your “gains” shouldn’t come at the expense of others. Sacrifice leads to success; selfishness leads to… pic.twitter.com/ChFx2yJY8h
— Fitness Volt (@fitness_volt) November 12, 2024
Tom Platz is consistently sharing how he was able to accomplish his incredible feats of strength throughout his career. In the past, Platz discussed his strategy for squatting 405 pounds for 50 reps, revealing he would chip it off by five-mini sets, slowly inching towards his end goal.
“I would do five reps and Tony would say ‘Five! Ten!’ He’d say ’15! 20!’ and then he’d say 25, well, I’m halfway done. I can get 50. They would do this for me but I could manage five reps at a time. I couldn’t manage 50 reps at a time. In my mind, it’s like doing sets of five 10 times. That’s all,” shared Tom Platz.
It has become abundantly clear that Tom Platz’s determination and mental toughness were a force to be reckoned with. Even in retirement, Platz continues to provide invaluable knowledge to his fans, who would be silly not to gobble up every morsel!
RELATED: Tom Platz Critical of How People Exercise Today: “How Do You Not Train To Failure?”
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