Jack’s Advice: Exercise And Eat Right

Do you remember the Jack LaLanne Show?  It began in the 50′s and continued through the 80′s.  Millions of Americans tuned in everyday to work out with Jack and receive his tips on eating right.  To this day, in his mid-90′s, he still teaches the importance of  exercise and good nutrition.

Jack began life as a thin, sickly person.  His mother would feed him lots of rich desserts in hopes he would gain some weight and energy.  By 15 Jack had all kinds of health problems and was more of an old person than a young one.  Jack had, among other things, a bad back, poor eyesight and headaches so severe he thought of suicide.  He lost his temper frequently and twice tried to kill his brother and once tried to burn down his family’s home.

In 1929 his mother took Jack to a doctor’s lecture on health and nutrition.  Jack was so impressed he stayed and approached the lecturer and was asked what he eats.  Jack said, “Cakes, pies and ice cream.”  The doctor said that a change of diet and to begin exercising could get rid of his headaches and make him strong.  Jack decided he was ready to give it a try.

LaLanne never ate another dessert.  He began lifting weights.  He studied anatomy so he could develop each and every muscle.

Jack & Happy

The weak, skinny boy with a back brace and bad skin disappeared.  The headaches and bad temper went away.  Jack soon developed the body he became known for having.  He excelled at high school sports.

At 18, LaLanne built a back yard gym and coached policemen and firemen on weight lifting.

In 1936 Jack moved his back yard gym into a rented building and opened the Jack LaLanne Physical Culture Studio in Oakland, California.  He encouraged women, children and the elderly to use his gym.  This was at a time when gyms were really only for boxers.

Members of his gym worked out with weights and received Jack’s personal assistance and advice.  He invented exercise equipment to help with squats and leg extensions.

Doctors called him a crackpot and told their patients that men would become muscle bound, women would look like men and old people would have heart attacks.

In 1951 a local San Francisco television station asked Jack to host an exercise program, the first in the country. He became the host of The Jack LaLanne Show.  Critics said he’d be off the air quickly.  But the show was soon airing in Los Angeles as well.

Doctors and sports coaches still called him a fake.  So to show them he was an athlete and quite strong and agile, on his 40th birthday he set a world record swimming the length of the Golden Gate Bridge – while pulling 140 pounds floating behind him.

In 1955 a hand-cuffed Jack swam from Alcatraz to fishermen’s wharf.  In 1957 he swam 6.5 miles through the channel of Golden Gate towing a 2,500 pound cabin cruiser behind him.  In 1959 at 45 years old he did 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin ups in an hour and 22 minutes.

Now a celebrity, he continued by lifting 140 pound dumbbells and climbing a 25 foot rope with 140 pounds strapped to his belt.

By 1959 The JackLaLanne Show was a national show on ABC and continued through 1985.  He once offered a $10,000 prize to any athlete who could match him.  Nobody ever collected.  LaLanne had launced the American health and fitness trend.

On his 70th birthday in 1984, he swam a mile and a half across Long Beach Harbor in California – with his hands and feet shackled and towing 70 people in 70 rowboats.

In 2008 Jack turned 94.  He still works out everyday.  Jack will keep pushing himself as long as he can.

Here in Portland we had our own health and fitness guru.  His name was Joe Loprinzi.  His local television show on exercise was very popular.  Joe is now 92 and said he truly regrets taking the advice to begin long distance running.  His hip wore out and he ended up having to have hip replacement surgery.

Joe and Jack were close friends.  Still stay in touch.

• Published by marilyn on February 24th, 2009 in Fun Stuff.
• 8 Comments
• exercise, fitness, good nutrition, weight lifting