The Official Site of Brandon Roy

Thu, Sep 17th 2009, 11:37

The lighter side of Roy

It’s never a surprise to see Brandon Roy stroll into the Trail Blazers’ practice facility well ahead of the start of training camp. It’s also always very safe to predict that he’ll be in a solid position, in terms of his physical condition.

What is a little different this September is Brandon’s physical appearance. It’s not just the new hairstyle, which is a cross between a faux hawk and a high and tight (sorry, no photo of the new look yet), it’s that Roy looks noticeably slimmer. Is it just the haircut? Is that why even his face looks more chiseled?

“Nah, I’ve dropped some pounds,” Roy laughs, and admits many people have noticed the new look. “The odd thing is, I didn’t play much basketball during the summer months. In fact, it’s pretty safe to say I hardly touched a ball.”

So, what was the key, and why the change? After all, Roy had never been someone who was considered to be too heavy.

“After taking a little time off after the season ended, I just started swimming, like every single day. And, I really got into bike riding. After doing this for a while I stepped on the scale and I was at about 203 pounds. I played last season at about 216. I was like ‘whoa,’ and figured that was enough.”

Roy claims the weight loss, for the most part, was unintentional, but that he did have a desire to come into camp lighter than he had been in the past. He hired a chef and got dedicated to eating healthier. That, combined with the workouts, made it easy to hit this new shape.

“I got to 205 so quickly, and then decided that was about time to head back the other way a bit. But, even now, I’m only at about 206. That’s where I want to stay.

“Last season I came to camp at about 215, and that was intentional. I thought being a little bigger and bulkier would be better for me. But, I didn’t like the way it felt. I feel so great physically right now, and I’m in great shape. I feel a little quicker, and I’m definitely lighter on my feet. I can feel it at the end of the day.”

Roy has also found another way to get a little lighter on his feet- new footwear. Obviously, shoes are so vital to an NBA player’s comfort and success. Brandon is a Nike guy, and last year searched to find the perfect shoe. He switched shoes a couple of times during the season and now has found the ideal wheels heading into this season.

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