Part Three in a Series

Editors Note: Jim Taylor, Fullback for the Green Bay Packers in the early 1960'5 wrote a book entitled "Weightlifting for Athletics." 1t was published in 1961. Taylor was one of the greatest running backs in the history of Pro-football. While Jim Taylor was an All-American at LSU, he learned much from Alvin Roy who is considered America's first strength coach. The first coaches and tearns who used weights for their athletes had to be highly influenced by Alvin Roy and Jinl Taylor. The following are excerpts from Taylor's 1961 book, which a student of history should find amazing.

INTRODUCTION I have worked with barbells for the past 10 years and contribute a great share of my accomplishments in football to their use. Barbells have given me that extra strength, endurance, and stamina needed in pro football. It is my sincere hope you may find this exercise book most useful in your training. From my own experience ii you will follow the workouts with sincerity you will be amazed at the results. Good Luck and best wishes, Jim Taylor THE VALUE OF MUSCLE POWER AS DEVELOPED BY WEIGHT TRAINING Taylor called this a "Half Knee Bend". His Parallel Squat was only 350 pounds but in 1961 it was considered awesome.

Today it is common practice for athletes, irrespective of their sport, to train with weights. Coaches and trainers alike have come to realize they cannot wait for nature to produce the "one in a hundred" type athlete who inherits size and strength from his ancestors. They are too few; therefore, a means of assisting nature is necessary. Thereby evolved the process of training athletes to perform well in their activity and to supplement this training with the use of weights in progressive resistance exercises. It followed that the stronger the individual became, the more his performance improved, for the relationship between strength and athletic ability is very high.

To be a champion an athlete must be strong. Greater leg power permits faster sprints and gives added endurance for distance running. It makes for longer and higher jumps and greater thrusts in all activities. Arm, chest, and shoulder strength makes for more effective hitting and throwing, and the many other maneuvers which comprise muscular activity in every form. Aside from performance, added muscle cuts down athletic injuries. It cushions jolts and jars, thereby protecting bones and joints. A well developed muscle is more flexible, healthier, and less prone to strains or bruises.

Strong athletes are more confident than weaker athletes; they are more self-assured and usually make better competitors. A strong athlete is a better athlete. The physical contributions of weightlifting to total fitness will depend on the exercises used, the frequency of workouts, and the general training procedures followed.

Any intelligently planned program will, however, produce the following results: increased musculature, increased body weight for thin people and reduced body weight for obese people, improved muscular efficiency in terms of power, speed, and flexibility, improved physical appearance, and greater self-confidence, which will have many intangible results on the personality and the general poise of the weight lifter. Continued on Page 30 SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY Continued from Page 25 Have each player concentrate upon his performances and stress the fact that if all the players perform well, the outcome is incidental. Winning will occur more often if the players are not worried about it.

The coach must be continually positive and reward what is being done correctly instead of reinforcing mistakes or poor performances. Reward all of the things being done right and the things being performed wrong will slowly disappear. Positive Paul will win more than Negative Neal. 3. Work on confidence. The most crucial psychological trait displayed by successful athletes, at all levels of competition, is self-confidence. Confidence is developed best under a positive atmosphere. Almost all humans respond better to a "pat on the back" rather than a "kick in the butt." Develop a "worth chart" for game performances and recognize great effort no matter the outcome of the contest. Remember:

HISTORY OF ATHLETIC WEIGHT TRAINING Continued from Page 26 WHO CAN PROFIT FROM A WEIGHT TRAINING PROGRAM? Virtually everyone who follows a program of weight training will profit in varying degrees. It is most advantageous to the physically weak and underdeveloped. Beyond question it affords the greatest and fastest return in physical fitness for the time and energy expended. It has recently become most popular as a supplement to training programs for all athletes.

ARE WEIGHTLIFTERS MUSCLEBOUND?

The term musclebound, though commonly used, is probably not understood by most who use it. It is believed by most that the word was born of envy and personal rationalization on the part of those who were anything but You can not humiliate a person into greatness. well muscled. It is now used to describe persons who are heavily muscled and strong but who have little skill in 4. Develop pride in each player and for the team as a activities which do not require excessive strength. The expwhole. Pride is the magic word. When each player has lanation is quite logical.

Before weight training became pride in himself, then he will strive to constantly do his popular and accepted as a means of training athletes, the best. Nothing short of excellence is acceptable. Also, team only people who lifted weight were those who lifted them pride is essential. I am not talking about doing it for "ole exclusively and devoted little or no time toward the deNorth Side High School," that is a little childish. The coach velopment of athletic skills. Consequently, these people must instill, in the team as a whole, - the pride of associhad little or no talent in other sports, and when this lack ation with each other, and the pride of a job well done.

of talent became apparent, they were quick to be criticised The team and its' accomplishments is more important than by jealous on-lookers. Perhaps the word musclebound was any individual. thus born. It is a proven psychological fact that large, wellA coach can develop pride in the team by emphasizing coopdeveloped muscles are more responsive, stronger, and eration rather than competition. more flexible than smaller ones. No one has ever said that large muscles are a cure all and will take the place of time Helping the players learn to rely on each other fosters reand effort spent on the practicing of athletic skills. Aside sponsibility which translates into pride in a short time.

from this, once a young man becomes interested in impro5. Stress the concept of the team. The most important ving his body through weight training, he often practices factor which will help stem the tide of a losing tradition is this activity to the near exclusion of all others. This, of to have the players realize the benefits of feeling like a course, he should not do. Large muscles, though attractive, team. When a team becomes of "primary" importance to should serve many useful functions. each individual rather than a "secondary" association, he will give a 110% to see that it is successful.

Sometimes JIM TAYLOR'S WORKOUT SCHEDULE young players will have the tendency to give up on themExercise Weight Sets Repetitions selves, but they never give up on their peer group. When the team becomes that all important peer group, the athlete Press 220 2 6 has something to hang onto and dedicate himself.

This is Dead Lift 380 2 6 an awesome responsibility for the coach; but remember Stiff Leg Dead lift 240 2 4 what a team stands for: Rowing 240 2 6 T = Total commitment Bench Press 240 2 6 E = Effort of excellence One Arm Press 60 2 8 A = Achieve for each other Side Lateral Arm Raises 40 2 4 M = Motivation for the team Half Squats 340 2 4 Calf Raises 420 2 12 Only the psychological approach will change the losing Curls 180 2 4 tradition. In Jim Taylor's schedule keep in mind the poundage RESEARCH HELP WANTED! listed under weight is the final product of many years of If you have used the "Legg Shoe," we would like to know hard work. in writing your experiences, either Pro or Con.

We have Remember beginners these charts are for comparison heard some amazing claims and want to know if there is only. Do not try to accomplish these until you are ready any substance to these claims. for them. Your coach will know your capabilities and adjust 30 your schedule accordingly. .

From BFS Magazine — November/December 1985. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).