Jack LaLanne
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jack LaLanne (b. September 26, 1914) is an American fitness, exercise and nutritional expert, celebrity, lecturer, and motivational speaker. LaLanne has been referred to as "the father of fitness."
His success as a body-builder became known worldwide, as well as his prodigious feats of strength. He has won numerous awards, including the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
He was born Francois Henri LaLanne in San Francisco, California, the son of French immigrants. LaLanne admits that as a child he was addicted to sugar and junk foods. He was very troubled and prone to rages. He once tried to burn down his family's house and once chased his brother with an axe. At age 15, he heard Paul Bragg give a talk on health and nutrition. Bragg's message was very simple but powerful to the troubled boy. LaLanne decided to focus on his diet and exercise habits. He studied Gray's Anatomy and concentrated on bodybuilding and weightlifting which, in the 1930s, was uncommon.
[edit] Fitness career
[edit] Health Clubs
LaLanne originally planned to enter the field of Chiropractic health care to become a Doctor of Chiropractic, (D.C.) He attended Chiropractic College in San Francisco, but in 1936, he opened his own health spa in California and encouraged clients to better themselves through weight-training. He designed the first leg extension machines, pulley machines using cables, and weight selectors; equipment which is now standard in the fitness industry. In addition to designing various machines, LaLanne is credited as the inventor of the jumping jack. He also encouraged women to weight-lift (at the time, people worried that this would make women look masculine and unattractive). By the 1980s there were more than 200 health clubs bearing his name (although he is no longer associated with any gym).
[edit] Books and Television
Between 1951 and 1984, LaLanne presented fitness and exercise advice on television. He has also published books and videos on fitness and nutrition, has appeared in films, recorded a song with Connie Haines, marketed electric juicers (the "Juice Tiger", as seen on Amazing Discoveries with Mike Levey, and "Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer"), and used to market exercise equipment and a range of vitamin supplements.
In addition in the early 1980s, LaLanne criticized the popular young instructor Richard Simmons for using a regime that seemed to have too fast a pace. Offended, Simmons called to complain about the remarks, but the two instructors resolved their differences enough to occasionally appear on each other's shows.
[edit] Later life
At age 92, he continues to work out every morning for two hours, one and one-half hours in the weight room and one half hour in the pool. LaLanne and his wife Elaine (80) live in Morro Bay, California.
When interviewed by Katie Couric on NBC's Today show, LaLanne declared that his two simple rules of nutrition are: "If man made it, don't eat it; if it tastes good, spit it out." He often says, "I can not afford to die, it will ruin my image."
[edit] Timeline: Jack LaLanne's Feats
As reported on Jack LaLanne's Web site, and as documented consistently when they happened:
- 1954 (age 40): Jack swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, underwater, with 140 pounds of equipment, including two air tanks. A world record.
- 1955 (age 41): Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed.
- 1956 (age 42): Jack set a world record of 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes on You Asked for It, a television program with Art Baker.
- 1957 (age 43): Jack swam the Golden Gate Channel while towing a 2,500-pound cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles.
- 1958 (age 44): Jack maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile trip took 9.5 hours.
- 1959 (age 45): Jack did 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes. His well-known white German shepherd, Happy, was born this year, the same year The Jack LaLanne Show went nationwide.
- 1974 (age 60): For the second time, Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000-pound boat.
- 1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance 21 years earlier, Jack again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000-pound boat.
- 1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, Jack swam one mile in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
- 1979 (age 65): Jack towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds of Lousiana Pacific wood pulp.
- 1980 (age 66): Jack towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile in less than one hour.
- 1984 (age 70): Once again handcuffed and shackled, Jack fought strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats with 70 people from the Queen's Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
- 1992 (age 78): Jack received the Academy of Body Building and Fitness Award.
- 1994 (age 80): Jack received the State of California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness Lifetime Achievement Award.
- 1996 (age 82): Jack received the Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award.
- 1999 (age 85): Jack received the Spirit of Muscle Beach Award.
- 2002 (age 88): Jack received a star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame.
- 2004 (age 90): Jack celebrated his 90th birthday in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. ESPN Classic ran a 24-hour marathon of the original Jack LaLanne television shows.
- 2005 (age 91): Jack received the Jack Webb Award from the Los Angeles Police Department Historical Society, the Arnold Classic Lifetime Achievement Award, Interglobal's International Infomercial Award, the Freddie, and the Medical Media Public Service Award, and he was a Free Spirit honoree at Al Neuharth's Freedom Fourm.
[edit] Filmography
LaLanne appeared as himself in the following films:
- Hollywood's Magical Island: Catalina (2003)
- Beefcake (1999)
- Repossessed (1990)
- Batman (1966) (uncredited)
- Jack LaLanne: Savior to the World
[edit] External links
