Who is Tom Platz?
Thomas Steven Platz was born on 26 June 1955, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA. He is a motivational speaker, bodybuilding expert, and retired professional bodybuilder, best known for competing in Mr. Olympia numerous times during his youth. At the peak of his career, he was considered as the man who had the best legs in bodybuilding, with some people naming him The Quadfather or The Golden Eagle.
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The Net Worth of Tom Platz
As of early-2020, Tom Platz’s net worth is estimated to be over $14 million, earned through a lifetime of dedication to his passion for bodybuilding. Aside from his competition winnings, he also took up a teaching career, and has written numerous books on bodybuilding.
He’s also made a few television and film appearances during his career.
Bodybuilding Beginnings
Tom became inspired to sculpt his body at a young age, sparking an interest after seeing a poster of Dave Draper, displaying a large 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 confirmed further as he saw the achievements of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
He approached his father about becoming a bodybuilder, and his father approved, often taking him along with his siblings to train in the basement.
His father taught him about various workouts and repetitions, while also reading to them books on bodybuilding. However, he didn’t focus on training his legs as he had a spinal condition which meant that the lower part of his spine didn’t develop 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 the age of 15, in pursuit of a career as a bodybuilder, Platz moved to Kansas City and took a job at a local health spa. He wanted to train people and teach them more about the benefits of weightlifting.
The owner of the spa liked his enthusiasm, and hired him even though he was underage – it was illegal for him to start working a job. They kept his age a secret, and soon his enthusiasm was bringing a lot of customers. He stayed there for two years, and learned more about squats, beginning to train his legs more.
He moved to Detroit where he went to a local gym, and was introduced to competitive bodybuilding and weightlifting. He was trained by a few Olympic weightlifters including Norb Schemansky, which further improved his technique. Eventually, he decided he wanted to pursue a career in bodybuilding, and moved to Los Angeles despite not having a lot of money.
He began competing in amateur bodybuilding competitions, with the first being 1973’s Mr. Adonis, a competition which he won. He continued winning and placing highly in amateur competitions, while completing a degree in Physiology and Nutrition at Wayne State University.
Amateur to Professional
Tom’s main goal was to compete and win Mr. Olympia, considered one of the most prestigious titles to win as a professional bodybuilder. After completing his degree, he competed over the next nine years. He never got to win the competition, but always placed highly, usually in the top 10.
One of the reasons why he couldn’t break through to higher placements was due to the other parts of his body lacking in comparison to his legs which, on the other hand, were top notch and defeated almost every competitor he faced in terms of definition. His highest placement in Mr. Olympia was third place in 1981.
He took advantage of the popularity of his leg development to promote his training method for legs, which at the time was unparalleled, considered the best legs in bodybuilding. With his body aging and no longer able to catch up, he retired from professional bodybuilding in 1987. He made a brief return in 1995 when he was given an honorary Mr. America title.
Later Life Endeavors
During the latter part of his career, he focused on other aspects. He continued his education, completing a Master’s degree in Fitness Science from Michigan University. He also became interested in business, and took up a Master’s in Business Administration course from the University of California. In 1990, he made his first appearance in films with “Book of Love”, which is based on the William Kotzwinkle autobiographical book “Jack in the Box”. Other films he worked on during the 1990s included “Who Killed Johnny Love?”, “Flex…Body Love”, “Twins”, and “8 Heads in a Duffel Bag”.
He also co-wrote a book with author Bill Reynolds focused on bodybuilding – “Pro-Style Bodybuilding” was published in 1985, and he hasn’t written anything as extensive since. After his retirement, he concentrated more on guest-speaking work, getting 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 the community as well as the competitive bodies that make up professional bodybuilding. He is often consulted by many professionals when it comes to building legs, and he is also known for the use of optical illusions to help him train more optimally.
Personal Life
Tom Platz married Cha Nikito in 2000 – it’s not known if they have any children; the couple is Christian. They reside in Scottsdale, Arizona where they are more focused on retirement and doing other projects in education and charity. The couple frequently travels, and he is known to spoil her with a lavish lifestyle brought about the riches he attained during his lifetime. He continues to go to the gym, though he takes it lightly unlike the way he used to. His wife also loves staying fit through frequent visits at the gym.
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