Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne Dies at 96

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Jan 23rd 2011 11:00PM

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades before diet and exercise became a national obsession, died on Sunday. He was 96.

LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast, said his longtime agent Rick Hersh.

LaLanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end, Hersh said.

"I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine LaLanne, Lalanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television appearances, said in a written statement.

Just before he had heart valve surgery in 2009 at age 95, Jack Lalanne told his family that dying would wreck his image, his publicist Ariel Hankin said at the time.

LaLanne (pronounced lah-LAYN') credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform the lives of others.

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."

His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s. LaLanne and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel.

He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name. In recent years, he touted the value of raw fruits and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.

When he turned 43 in 1957, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the 'You Asked For It' television show. At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco -- handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat. Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long Beach harbor.

He maintained a youthful physique and joked in 2006 that "I can't afford to die. It would wreck my image."

"I never think of my age, never," LaLanne said in 1990. "I could be 20 or 100. I never think about it, I'm just me. Look at Bob Hope, George Burns. They're more productive than they've ever been in their whole lives right now."

Fellow bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger credited LaLanne with taking exercise out of the gymnasium and into living rooms.

"He laid the groundwork for others to have exercise programs, and now it has bloomed from that black and white program into a very colorful enterprise," Schwarzenegger said in 1990.

In 1936 in his native Oakland, LaLanne opened a health studio that included weight-training for women and athletes. Those were revolutionary notions at the time, because of the theory that weight training made an athlete slow, and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.

"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out.

"It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.

The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become a sugar addict, he said.

The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole wheat and a vegetarian diet.

"He got me so enthused," LaLanne said. "After the lecture I went to his dressing room and spent an hour and a half with him. He said, 'Jack, you're a walking garbage can.'"

Soon after, LaLanne constructed a makeshift gym in his back yard. "I had all these firemen and police working out there and I kind of used them as guinea pigs," he said.

He said his own daily routine usually consisted of two hours of weightlifting and an hour in the swimming pool.

"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.

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Comments

(242)

Monday 24 January

By Nate

Low Ranked Vote down Vote up Report this

I always wondered how long you'd live. I was hoping it would turn out to be 110 to 115-years. Oh, well, I guess you should have treated yourself to those steaks and lobsters after all. I'll continue smoking my cigars, eating my NY steaks and lobsters, not to mention drinking my scotch, because you've just proved it's all in the genes, my friend...Rest in Peace...

By donald

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All things in moderation - that's the key.

By vince

He was a great person,
I watched him swimming in Morro Bay Daily.
My father is turning 72 and can still bench press 350,
Do to great people like that when he was growing up.

Tuesday 25 January

By Kristen

Rest in peace.

By SirSFsBE

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

R.I.P MrJack

I remember as a young child watching you in the mornings b4 the cartoons came on.
I also remeber my mom excercizing along with you,you helped her beat depression and lose weight,Thanks to you mom is still here today,a healthy 86 year old..
Mrs Jack, you will always carry him in your heart:) God Bless

By Mildred

I always had a crush on Jack. never told my husband though.I'm81

By blubli8639

I remember the stretching exercises in front of the TV with my older sister in the early '60's. My sister is now a marathon runner. Jack, you inspired generations and revolutionized the fitness landscape of America. You will be sorely missed. My heartfelt sympathies to your family.
Exercise in Peace.

By Joanne Menditto

I worked out with Jack in the early 70's with my son who was just a toddler. He was just on HSN a few weeks ago too and I love his Juicer! He was an inspiration to us all. RIP you wonderful man!!

By David

Jack, you will be missed. Got me interesed in Physical Fitness 50 yrs ago and was truly inspirational; thank you. My condolences to his family and goodbye my friend.

By RYAN

Well,he was right,he made it to 96 and worked out until the end.He wouldnt drink milk because he said it was for babies.He is a legend and he had it figured out .RIP JACK.

By richard kohler

A true inspiration to all! You will truly be missed my friend.

By Erwin

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

He was a phony. Juicing was never proven to be anything except a money maker for him.

By JOANhe

I have an aunt who will be 97 Feb 04...never exercise a day in her life with the exception of daily living/chores. Eats what she wants..lives alone and cares for herself in a 2 story house.
God determines the length of our lives. Thank you, Jack for thinking you kept yourself well. Rest in Peace. There something about those genes made by the Creator.

By Lori

JOANhe,

You can't really think there's little to do to help yourself, can you? If we were all to sit back, eat whatever we wanted, and never work on ourselves for our health, you think god would just take care of it all? With this philosophy, we'll have people dying earlier and living less able lives. This generation of boomers are more health conscious than the last and moving and looking better than their parents. Certainly, I don't think one would object to your praise of your god, but I think you have to invest in yourself and work toward making yourself a better body than just sitting back and thinking god will do it all, and god has your day of death planned. And, even if he/she/it has done this, no harm in working toward a better you and a better world.

By Roy

Jack you were way ahead of your time in body and mind.....The world would be a better place with more people like you!..RIP

By Ann

What an inspiration...couch potatoes should take heed and get up and move. As for smoking and drinking....we only know Burns & Hope both showed these activities on TV but you don't know about what they did when not on TV. Look at Dean Martin who made believe that he was drunk and yet hardly ever drank. The government is trying to get people motivated to exercise and eat right..after all the only ones who benefit from non-execising people and people not eating right are corporate un-America who pushes all things bad into the hands and mouths of the public.

Thursday 27 January

By Rodor1960

For my dad's day?... It was Flash Gordon!

My day, it was 1966 when, I started exercising with my mother, to him ( Jack LaLanne) on television, (Black & White)...

Man... My father would tell me stories of Jack Lelanne, that lead to my body building days, in my younger years.

When I heard he was a bodybuilder, before his movie days, he kept me in the Gym for years.

I'm talking before...............//// Joe Weider, and, his superstars team...

Sadly, he will be missed
Regrets/sincerely

Thank you

Robert Dorsey
aka/Rodor1960
President/CEO
&
Family
Cabin Watch Fine Time Wear; Family Time-piece Jewelers'.

By Owen

JACK WAS MY HERO,AND I TRIED TO IMAGE MYSELF AFTER HIS BELIEFS. IT WAS HIS WAYS THAT HELPED ME GET THROUGH SPECIAL FORCES TRAINING AND HELPED ME BE THE BEST TAT I COULD BE AND SURVIVE VIETNAM.....
GOD BLESS YOU JACK, YOU WILL BE GREATLY MISSED......

By iansmomliz

Owen,
Thanks for your service!
Keep it moving, keep it going!

By AT

I used to jump around in front of the TV when it was "Time for Jack" when I was 6 years old. I credit that man with encouraging me to pursue a healthy lifestyle. I loved that man! Goodbye, Jack. You did a great job.

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