Who is Tom Platz?
Thomas Steven Platz was born on June 26, 1955 in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA. He is a motivational speaker, bodybuilding expert and retired professional bodybuilder best known for his participation in Mr. Olympia during his childhood. At the height of his career, he was considered the man with the best legs in bodybuilding, with some people calling him The Quadfather or The Golden Eagle.
Tom Platz net worth
As of the beginning of 2020, Tom Platz’s net worth is estimated to be over $14 million, earned through a lifelong dedication to his passion for bodybuilding. Apart from his competition wins, he also started a career as a teacher and has written numerous books on bodybuilding.
He has also made a few television and film appearances during his career.
The beginning of bodybuilding
Tom was inspired to shape his body at a young age, which led to a interest after seeing a poster of Dave Draper, with a hefty physique. At the time, he didn’t think such a feat would be possible, but inspiration struck him and he knew what he wanted to do in his career. His interest was further confirmed when he saw Arnold Schwarzenegger’s performance.
He approached his father about becoming a bodybuilder, and his father approved, often taking him to workout in the basement along with his siblings.
His father taught him about different workouts and repetitions while also reading them books on bodybuilding. However, he did not focus on training his legs, as he had a spinal condition, which prevented the lower part of his spine from developing properly and was therefore more prone to injury. His friends also kept giving him misconceptions about squats developing bad posture and a bigger butt.
A fitness career
At age 15, Platz moved to Kansas City, seeking a career as a bodybuilder, and took a job at a local spa. He wanted to train people and learn more about the benefits of weightlifting.
The spa owner loved his enthusiasm and hired him even though he was a minor – it was illegal for him to go to work. They kept his age a secret and soon his enthusiasm attracted many customers. He stayed there for two years and learned more about squats and started training his legs more.
He moved to Detroit, where he attended a local gym, and was introduced to competitive bodybuilding and weightlifting. He was trained by some Olympic weightlifters, including Norb Schemansky, who further improved his technique. Eventually, he decided he wanted to pursue a career in bodybuilding and moved to Los Angeles despite not having much money.
He began competing in amateur bodybuilding competitions, the first being Mr. Adonis from 1973, a competition he won. He continued to win and score high in amateur competitions while completing a degree in physiology and nutrition from Wayne State University.
Amateur to professional
Tom’s main goal was to get involved and Mr. Olympia, considered one of the most prestigious titles to win as a professional bodybuilder. After completing his degree, he competed for the next nine years. He never won the competition, but was always ranked high, usually in the top 10.
One of the reasons he couldn’t break through to higher positions was that the other parts of his body were missing compared to his legs, which on the other hand were top notch, beating almost every competitor he faced by definition. . His highest placement in Mr. Olympia was third in 1981.
He took advantage of the popularity of his leg development to promote his leg training method, which was unparalleled at the time and considered the best legs in bodybuilding. With his body aging and no longer able to catch up, he is retired of professional bodybuilding in 1987. He made a brief return in 1995 when he earned the Mr. America got.
Later Life Efforts
During the later part of his career he focused on other aspects. He continued his education and completed a master’s degree in fitness science from Michigan University. He also became interested in business and pursued a Masters in Business Administration from the University of California. In 1990, he made his first appearance in movies with “Book of love”, which is based on the autobiographical book “Jack in the Box” by William Kotzwinkle. Other films he worked on in the 1990s included “Who Killed Johnny Love?”, “Flex…Body Love”, “Twins”, and “8 Heads in a Duffel Bag”.
He also co-wrote a book on bodybuilding with author Bill Reynolds – “Pro-Style Bodybuilding” was published in 1985, and he hasn’t written anything quite as comprehensive since. After his retirement, he focused more on guest speakers and was invited to events to talk about fitness, nutrition and bodybuilding. He continues to wholeheartedly support bodybuilding as a sport and participates in various projects to continue to help both the community and the competitive bodies involved in professional bodybuilding. He is often consulted by many professionals when it comes to building legs, and he is also known for using optical illusions to help him train optimally.
Private life
Tom Platz married Cha Nikito in 2000 – it is unknown if they have children; the couple is Christian. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they are more focused on retirement and other educational and charitable projects. The couple travels often, and he is known to indulge her in a lavish lifestyle that grew out of the wealth he acquired during his lifetime. He continues to go to the gym, although he takes it differently than he used to. His wife also likes to keep fit by going to the gym regularly.
Contents
