| Tom Platz | |
| Nickname: | The Quadfather, The Golden Eagle, Quadzilla |
| Birth Date: | 26 June 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Fort Sill, Oklahoma, United States |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 1/2 in (174 cm)[1] |
| Weight: | 225-235 lb (102.1-106.6 kg)[2] |
| Firstproshow: | World Pro Bodybuilding Championships |
| Firstproshowyear: | 1979 |
| Bestwin: | IFBB Mr. Universe |
| Bestwinyear: | 1981 |
| Yesorretiredyear: | 1973–1987[3] |
Thomas Steven Platz (born 26 June 1955) is an American retired professional bodybuilder. He was known for his leg development, which in his prime measured over 30 inches, earning him the nickname The Quadfather.[4]
Platz was part of Vince McMahon's short-lived World Bodybuilding Federation (WBF).[5] He ambushed the closing ceremonies of Mr. Olympia 1990 to announce its formation, after attending the event with McMahon as representatives of Bodybuilding Lifestyles magazine.[6] [7]
He is known contemporarily for seminar speeches on his life, work, inspirations, and motivation as well as for helping to train bodybuilders like David Hoffmann.[8]
Tom Platz was born on June 26, 1955. Upon looking at a Mr. Universe magazine at the age of 11 he decided to become a professional bodybuilder. At the age of 15, he weighed around 165 pounds.[9] Platz later joined Armento’s Gym and was acquainted with Olympic weight lifters Norb Schemansky and Freddie Lowe and learned the proper way to squat. He developed strength and muscle size rapidly.[10] With $50 to his name, he moved to Venice, California, in 1977 and trained at Gold’s Gym. That same year, he won his class at the Mr. Universe.[11]
In 1992, Tom Platz faced ‘Dr. Squat’ Fred Hatfield in a squat competition. The “squat-off,” as it’s often called, went down in Essen, Germany. It was decided that they’d compete in two phases — a max lift portion and a single set with 525 pounds for the most reps possible. For 525 pounds, Platz managed an incredible 23 reps.|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle| |- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle||bgcolor=white| 11th |bgcolor=white|
|- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle| |- align=center bgcolor=white valign=middle||bgcolor=white| 12th |bgcolor=white| IFBB Night of Champions 1980
Pro-style Bodybuilding by Tom Platz (Author), Bill Reynolds (Author),Paperback: 192 pages,Publisher: Sterling (20 May 1985),Language English,,