It wasn’t long into my recent visit with Red Lerille – owner of a premiere health club in Lafayette referred to by locals simply as “Red’s” – I discovered his iconic name, which was a nickname given to him as a child, is now his legal name. Thinking he was pulling my leg, I asked again, confirming what I thought to be his real first name. “No, it’s Red; my name is really Red,” he insisted. 

It makes perfect sense he would legally take on the name he had successfully branded into a household word, as common in Lafayette as “post office” or “grocery store.” I am not a member of a health club, so it was all the more interesting speaking with a leader in the fitness industry who had made an immeasurable impact on the health of people in Lafayette.

A native of Harvey, La., Lerille says bodybuilding is “all I’ve ever wanted to do since I was 7.” The skinny, red-haired boy was in awe and inspired by the muscular build of an uncle and a seventh-grade school teacher, both bodybuilders. “I wanted to win Mr. America and open a health club. Everybody who won Mr. America would open a gym,” says Lerille.

As a teen he made his way to working at Gold’s Ajax Gym in New Orleans, where he was given  encouragement by the owner, famed bodybuilder Joe Gold. It was support that proved pivotal. While in the United States Navy, he collected numerous bodybuilding titles, including Mr. Armed Services. 

In 1960, at the age of 23, Lerille won the famed AAU Mr. America title and the NABBA Mr. Universe title, the two most prestigious honors in American bodybuilding history. When pressed to reveal his best body asset back in the day, he says, “My best asset was that I wanted to win. You don’t win with one body part.”

After moving to Lafayette, his work at Mike’s Gym deepened his desire to open his own business. With a $200 loan from his father and equipment he built himself, he opened Red Lerille’s Health Studio in 1963. The 4,000-square-foot gym, at 4408 Johnston Street, was one of only two in Lafayette at the time. “There wasn’t all the equipment we have now; we did weightlifting – that’s all,” he points out. But this was during the fitness movement, and Red’s bodybuilding titles made him popular among young men (and some women) who wanted to follow in his footsteps, increasing membership to the point that he quickly outgrew the space.

In 1965 Lerille purchased two acres at the current Doucet Road location and built Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club. The building is reported to have undergone constant construction or renovation since 1971 and currently has some 250,000 square feet under roof. “I like to change; I like more equipment – I’m a toyaholic,” he confesses.

Red’s has attracted local, national and professional athletes, Olympic hopefuls, and celebrities, but Lerille is quick to clarify: “That’s not important.” What’s more important to Lerille is that Red’s has become a fixture in the lives of generations of families.

Lerille has made it a lifetime commitment to spread advice about fitness, weight training, bodybuilding – and success. He presents a laminated business card with his five tips for success:

• Show up on time, ready for work.

• Hello & Goodbye (“Two most important words in the English language,” he adds).

• Make a change every month.

• Learn as much as you can.

• Stay in shape.

 

“One of the most difficult things in life is to stay in shape. The older we get the harder it is, by a big margin,” he says firmly.

His own impressive regimen puts many others’ to shame. Every day he wakes at 1:31 a.m. (a fluke in setting the clock that he’s never changed) and rides his bicycle about a mile down the road to Red’s for an hour-long workout. His routine involves every body part. “Instead of machines and barbells, I do resistance training,” he shares. “You need some cardio, but you’ve got to keep your strength up as much as you can, because it will go away as you get older – no matter what you do.” 

After the workout he heads home between 3:30 and 4:00 am – while most of us are still in the REM sleep stage – then showers and eats breakfast. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (and Saturday or Sunday) he attends 7 a.m. mass at St. Mary’s Church, just a few blocks from the health club. Then it’s back to work at the front desk of Red’s.

At 86, Lerille’s body is a testament to a discipline rooted in his fitness routine. The man has a waistline trimmer than many 40-year-olds, and while his biceps are not quite the same, he still rocks a Polo shirt.

For all his contributions to the community and to the health club industry, there have been awards and distinctions (none of which he feels comfortable talking about). Still, an honorary doctorate of educational leadership from USL (for the alumni) and the 2011 Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award should not go unmentioned. 

In his mind Lerille reached his lifetime goal a long time ago. “My chance of winning Mr. America was slim; I was the smallest person to ever win,” he reveals. “But I knew I was going to win because I put a picture on the wall of a Mr. America when I was 7.”  

Long before vision boards became a trend, Lerille had a large memo-type board with his goals. “I’ve been putting pictures of my goals on the wall for years, and they’ve happened. If I had to borrow money, I’d put the amount on the board. If I wanted an airplane, I‘d put a picture of it on the board and eventually would get it.” (Yes, an airplane.)

Restoring (and flying) antique airplanes was one of Lerille’s longtime hobbies that made him happy, because he believes in having fun. “My mother started me building model airplanes as a kid,” he recalls. Altogether he’s restored 18 planes – all from the 30s – for which he’s won several trophies, including a grand champion award. Among his other toys: motorcycles and antique high-wheel bicycles, some of which hang on display at the health club, and some he has ridden to work in the past. Lerille also has a penchant for cars, which have been the talk of the town for years.

As much as he’s enjoyed his career, and the lifestyle it’s afforded, Lerille has weathered many storms, including the oil crash of the mid 80s that lost him 1,500 members in six weeks. “That was worse than the two months I was closed during COVID,” he exclaims. 

Today he says business is better than ever with a membership of more than 10,000. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world to walk into the business that you’ve created,” he says. “This is it for me. I have no plans to retire or die – but when I do, I hope I die here.”