There’s no shortage of impressive physiques on display at the Olympic Games, but it’s unlikely anyone will ever be as eye-catching as Robert Forstemann.
The German track cyclist may have clinched a bronze medal in the team sprint at the London 2012 Olympics, but he gained more attention for his massive quad muscles. Forstemann’s thighs were so huge they went viral and he is now known by the nickname Quadzilla.
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The 38-year-old is still competing and still has legs that would make even the biggest bodybuilder envious. For those hoping to replicate the athlete's astonishing physique, he’s even shared snippets of his unbelievable workouts on social media.
Going viral
Forstemann started competing for Germany in 2005 and went on to win multiple medals in the sprint and team sprint at Track Cycling World Cups. But his career highlight arguably came at the London 2012 Olympic Games, when Forstemann and his German teammates, René Enders and Maximilian Levy, finished third in the team sprint.
The trio overcame Australia in the bronze medal final to get a place on the podium, while British cycling legends Philip Hindes, Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny were the gold medallists after beating France in the final.
Forstemann had not been named in Germany’s track cycling squad for the Olympics, but the team exploited a loophole in the regulations to draft him in and get a fresh pair of legs for the team sprint.
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Quadzilla had actually been included in the German Olympic team as a mountain biker, but did not even start the event. France also exploited the same loophole through Mickael Bourgain, who had originally been included in the road race team and completed just 3 kilometres of the course.
“It has made a mockery of the International Cycling Union rulings but that’s life,” said Hoy at the time. “We have learned to accept that and deal with it.”
Despite the controversy surrounding Forstemann’s inclusion in the team sprint, this was not the reason he became prolific at the London 2012 Olympic Games. It was actually because of a viral photo shared by New Zealand road cyclist Greg Henderson.
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Over in the Olympic Village, Forstemann and German road cyclist André Greipel had been comparing the size of their legs. Greipel was considered to have enormous quadriceps, but he was blown out of the water by Forstemann.
Henderson took a picture of the quad-off, before posting it on social media with the caption: "You thought Greipel has a big set of legs. There was a quad off in the German camp today. Greipel lost."
To demonstrate just how huge Forstemann’s quads are, they have been measured to have an astonishing circumference of between 73 and 86 centimetres.
Leg day
After going viral for his massive legs, everyone wanted to know how Forstemann had achieved his physique.
The cyclist has often shared details of his intense leg workout, most recently doing so during an interview with Men’s Health.
His workouts include Bulgarian split squats with around 160kg weight for good measure, deadlifts, leg press, swiss ball crunches and bike rides, with Forstemann claiming his leg strength allows him to cycle more than 200 kilometres.
“I do a lot of road training,” he said. “It's also possible with these big legs to do a 230km ride, on the road bike. It's no problem for me, but of course, the distances are shorter usually, between 50 and 80km.”
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But according to the Global Cycling Network, Hoy actually has quads capable of generating the most power. The six-time Olympic gold medallist is capable of hitting an incredible 2,600 watts during a sprint, while Forstemann recorded 2,400 watts during a peak power test in 2022.
Regardless, to even come close to a cyclist considered the greatest of all time is still a remarkable feat for Forstemann.
Becoming a Para-cyclist
Nearly 12 years on from the London 2012 Olympic Games, Forstemann still has massive quadriceps. Now aged 38, he is still churning out leg workouts, and with 447,000 followers on Instagram, has built up quite the social media following.
Quadzilla is even still competing, having made the switch to Paralympic track cycling. He now represents Germany as a sighted pilot in tandem events. Sighted pilots help visually impaired cyclists by sitting at the front of the bike and steering.
Forstemann competed in this role at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, before piloting teammate Thomas Ulbricht to a silver and a bronze medal at the 2023 World Para-Cycling Track Championships.
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A recent Instagram post showed Forstemann completing a workout in preparation for Paris 2024 - which will be live on talkSPORT - suggesting Quadzilla is going to be back in Paralympic action this summer. No doubt he could go viral all over again.
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