Tom Platz Discusses His Approach to Squatting 405 Lbs for 50 Reps: “In My Mind It’s Like Doing Five Sets of 10 Times” – Fitness Volt

Golden age bodybuilding legend Tom Platz still sports a mystique about him years after his retirement. In a recent offer shared via Instagram, Platz revealed his mental approach to squatting 405 pounds for 50 reps, which he did by dividing it into 10 sets of five repetitions.

Tom Platz continues to inspire bodybuilding fans from all over the world even though he has long hung up his posing trunks. His cutthroat training, intensity, and charisma have made him a huge star. His low body density and isolation earned him the nickname ‘The Quadfather,’ and never shied away from showing off his shocking strength.

Platz held the squat record of 525 pounds for 23 reps, which he achieved in 1992 until former World’s Strongest Man Mitchell Hooper broke it in 2023. Famous bodybuilders like Lee Priest have been honest about training with bodybuilding stars. After pushing leg day with Platz, Priest explained that the workout was so intense, he thought he was having a heart attack. And although the 69-year-old icon no longer performs under the bright lights, we can learn a lot from how he approaches his heavy squats.

Tom Platz Discusses How He Squatted 405 Lbs for 50 Reps, Says ‘I Never Left The Gym A Loser’

To steel his mind for such crazy lifts, Platz says he would enter the gym with a set number of reps and weights on his mind.

“I can never leave the gym a loser. In my mind, I will do some repetitions with this weight.

Because the thought of 50 repetitions of 405 pounds was too much for his mind to process, Platz tried to manage five reps at a time instead.

“When you leave the gym and you do a lot of repetitions with a lot of weight oh the good life! When I did 405 for 50 I could never imagine it, it’s too many reps to think about. I can’t manage it but I can manage five at a time.

“I’ll do five reps and Tony will say ‘Five! Ten!’ He will say ’15! 20!’ then he’d say 25, well, I’m halfway done. They’ll do this for me but I can’t manage 50 reps at once. In my mind, that’s like doing a set of five 10 times. That’s all,” Tom Platz said.

Believe it or not, Tom Platz has not always shredded and separated the quads, he earned them through countless training sessions. He explained that he had a weak lower body in high school, which led him to take action by squatting. At that time, he also knew that he needed to consume enough carbohydrates and protein to form an amazing lower body.

Pointing out that squatting is her greatest strength as an athlete, Platz has been open about how she’s improved her technique. He explained why he pushed the weight quickly, which he described as ‘compensatory acceleration.’ He also states that you should not use heavy weights because lighter loads can cause fewer injuries.

There’s no denying Tom Platz’s power and knowledge of the squat. If high volume is on your agenda, try incorporating his approach to squatting on your next leg day.

Related: Tom Platz Calls for Change in Modern Bodybuilding: “Now, We Have Science on Stage in Every Category”