Legendary bodybuilder Tom Platz, who gained fame for his immense leg development, is regarded as one of the greatest leg trainers of all time. Kicking off his competitive bodybuilding career in the 1970s, he quickly made a name for himself in the fitness industry due to his impressive set of quads, which are widely considered to be among the best in bodybuilding history.
His legs were characterized by their impressive size, symmetry, and striated muscle definition. This led to him being known as “The Golden Eagle” and earned him a devoted following of fans and aspiring bodybuilders who sought to emulate his training methods by pushing their own limits and reaching new heights in leg training.
It’s no wonder then that the Platz leg workout is still relevant today, known for its high volume, heavy weights, and a combination of compound exercises and isolation movements that target the quads, hamstrings and buttocks.
Intrigued by Platz’s legacy, I thought I’d give the workout a try and determine if it’s really all that’s broken.
Precursor: While the Platz Leg Workout has become infamous for its intensity and effectiveness — promising to deliver impressive results — it’s important to note that training your leg muscles every single day probably isn’t a great idea.
Like any other muscle group, leg muscles require adequate rest and recovery to grow and develop. Overtraining can lead to muscle fatigue, increase your risk of injury, and hinder your progress. Therefore, it is essential to balance intense leg training with adequate rest days to allow for optimal muscle repair and growth.
However, I figured there was no harm in trying the workout. Here’s how I found myself…
What is the Tom Platz leg workout?
Before we get into my experience trying Tom Platz’s leg workout, let’s dig into what exactly it is.
There’s no denying that Tom’s famous leg routine is a series of grueling and challenging exercises. It focuses primarily on building strength and size in the lower body and incorporates a combination of heavy compound exercises, isolation movements, and high-volume training.
While Platz’s exact leg routine has varied throughout his career, here are the key elements of Platz’s leg workout and how many sets/reps are needed for each exercise:
Squats
The cornerstone of Platz’s leg routine is a set of squats, which are performed with heavy, high-intensity weights (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 to do it: Perform 4-5 working sets of 8-12 reps, focusing on deepening the squat and maintaining proper form (here’s more on how to squat). Use a weight challenging enough to stimulate muscle growth.
Leg press
Next up is the leg press, which further emphasizes the quads while providing additional support for heavy loads. It also allows for greater isolation of the leg muscles and can be adjusted to target different areas of the quads.
How to do it: Do 4-5 sets of 8-12 reps, gradually increasing the weight. Ensure a full range of motion, going as deep as your flexibility allows while maintaining control. Here’s what happened when this fitness writer used the leg press every day for two weeks.
Leg extensions
Another isolating exercise that makes up Tom’s rigorous routine is the leg extension, which focuses primarily on the quads and provides an intense burn to the target muscles. This exercise is usually performed with many repetitions to induce muscle hypertrophy (in short: the enlargement of total muscle mass and cross-sectional area).
How to do it: Use a leg extension machine and do 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps. Focus on squeezing your quads at the top of each rep. Here’s what happened when this fitness writer added 60 leg extensions to her daily routine for a week.
Hack Squats
Finally we have the hack squats, which focus on the quadriceps while also involving the glutes and hamstrings. This variation of the squat provides an effective way to target different areas of your leg muscles.
How to do it: Load the hack squat machine with appropriate weight and perform 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps. Focus on the mind-muscle connection, feeling your quads engage and contract with each rep.
To try the workout on my own, I’ll do all of the above in one session.
I did the Tom Platz leg workout – here’s what happened
As a self-proclaimed fitness fan and someone who can build leg muscles relatively easily (unlike my arms which don’t grow no matter how much I train them), I was curious to try Platz’s legendary leg workout. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but nothing good in life comes without challenges from him, right?
Not even five minutes into Tom’s infamous leg workout and I immediately felt the strains on my leg muscles. The combination of heavy weights and high reps really pushed my limits, as expected, and I could feel the burn with every set. The squats, in particular, proved to be quite a humbling experience as I struggled to maintain proper form under the heavy load.
As the workout progressed, I could feel the fatigue set in. Leg presses and hack squats intensified the burn in my quads while the leg extensions provided a focused, isolated contraction.
The overall volume of the workout was challenging to say the least, and I had to push myself mentally and physically to complete each set, especially towards the end. I made sure I was only able to complete the last rep of each set to get the most out of it.
It goes without saying that the Platz workout was hands down one of the most challenging leg workouts I’ve ever done. I would never really just focus on my legs during a gym visit. Since my legs are probably the most muscle dense area of my body, I have always confused leg training days with another opposing area, like shoulders. The intensity and focus required to perform the exercises made me feel completely finished, but it was quite satisfying to complete. I can’t say the same about the DOMS that followed in the following days, though…
AS. Would I do it again?
While Tom Platz’s Leg Workout offered an intense experience and proved effective, especially when it came to my post-gym pump, I’d approach it with caution. The high volume and heavy weights require a fairly high level of fitness and overall leg strength.
The key thing here is to listen to your body and recognize the importance of a balanced workout, something this workout is not.
If you’re determined to do it, however, I recommend starting slowly and gradually increasing the intensity while ensuring adequate rest and recovery to avoid overtraining and potential injuries.
Remember, it’s not recommended to train your leg muscles every day, as they take time to repair and grow. Incorporating Tom Platz’s leg training principles into your routine could certainly be beneficial, but it should definitely be done in moderation.
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