Happy Birthday, Jack.
From the superstrengthtraining.com newsletter:
Francois Henri LaLanne was born on this day in 1916. Better known to his friends and ferocious legion of fitness-fans as, “Jack” LaLanne. A self proclaimed sugar addict as a kid, a by chance meeting with legendary health advocate, Paul Bragg, changed his life.
Bragg told him, quite bluntly, “You’re a walking garbage can.”
This statement evidently struck a nerve in young Jack. He immediately went home and built a gym in his backyard where he began spending two hours everyday lifting weights and one hour swimming in a pool. Soon, he had neighborhood kids and even local police and firemen, join in with him.
In 1936 he opened his first health studio that somewhat revolutionized the gym industry.He insisted on including athletes and women. Back then, coaches frowned on weightlifting. And women, well, women just didn’t exercise, it wasn’t lady like. My how things have changed, and you can thank Jack for that! And, as one would guess, his studio thrived, so much so, that it
grew into a chain across the country.
I recall his physique on the cover of magazines like “Strength and Health”, “Your Physique”, “Muscle Power”, “Muscle Builder”, etc., and articles relating his feats of endurance strength. Pictures showing him hand-balancing with Les and Pudgy Stockton, Bert Goodrich, Vic Tanny, etc., were common in those days.
In addition, he was oft times referred to as ”Jack LaLanne the Endurance King”. I remember a story of how he cranked out over 1,000 dips! In 1957, on the “You Asked For It” television show, at the age of 43, he performed 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes!
At 60 years of age, while handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000 pound boat, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco! He would do a feat like this every year on his birthday.
Here are a few of his famous quotes:
“Old age is anyone 20 years older than you.”
“Inactivity is the killer, and, remember, it’s never too late.”
And my favorite…
“Then I was a crackpot and a charlatan, today I am an authority…
and believe me I can’t die, it would ruin my image.”
He died of pneumonia last January at 96 years of age.
(via Bill Hinbern)
