Alvin Roy was introduced to weightlifting while he was serving in World War II. Many of his duties involved organizing athletic events and competitions for the troops. In 1946 he was assigned to be the aide de camp for the US Weightlifting team in Paris, for the first post-war world championships. The now legendary Bob Hoffman was the coach of the U.S. team. It was here that Roy learned first-hand that weightlifting, contrary to popular belief at the time, would not make an athlete muscle-bound, but rather would actually increase speed and improve flexibility. Upon returning to the U.S., Roy opened a health club in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. During this time, he began promoting weight training, not only as the key to good health, but also as the key to success on the athletic playing field. After much persuasion on Roy's part, his high school alma mater allowed him to help the football team with a weight training program. The result: a 13-0 season with fewer injuries than in any of the previous 20 seasons. After facing similar resistance at LSU, their new head football coach, Paul Dietzel, reluctantly allowed Roy to train the team. The result was an undefeated 1958 season, a National Championship Title, and Coach Dietzel being voted Coach of the Year. Coach Dietzel was always quick to give credit to Alvin Roy and his weight lifting program. As a result, football coaches around the country began to question the notion that weightlifting led to "muscle bound" athletes. Roy lectured and conducted clinics on weightlifting at numerous colleges and universities, dispelling the myths about strength training and helping coaches develop their own programs. He went on to become the NFL's first strength coach when he was hired by the San Diego Chargers. This was followed by stints with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys, the New Orleans Saints, and the Oakland Raiders. The idea that weightlifting was detrimental to athletic performance was further eroded and finally destroyed by the many other strength training pioneers who followed Alvin Roy—considered to be "the first modern strength coach."
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TonyLyndellWilliams 1 year ago
Great for Louisiana!
beefycajun 1 year ago