Happy Birthday, Jack Lalanne

Today would have been the 97th birthday of fitness guru, Jack Lalanne.  Although he died earlier this year, the impact of his life will continue for a long, long time.  While there is an entire generation (or two) who may not even know the name Jack Lalanne -- or only associate him with his informercials for juicers -- the “body” of work he produced will live on.  During his amazing life, Lalanne  managed to do the following:

• 1954 (age 40): swam the entire length (8,981 ft/1.7 mi) of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, under water, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of air tanks and other equipment strapped to his body; a world record.
• 1955 (age 41): swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed, which significantly reduced his chance to do a jumping jack.
• 1956 (age 42): set what was claimed as a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It,a television program hosted by Art Baker.
• 1957 (age 43): swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound (1,100 kg; 180 st) cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
• 1958 (age 44): maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours.
• 1959 (age 45): did 1,000 jumping jacks and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes, to promote The Jack LaLanne Show going nationwide. LaLanne said this was the most difficult of his stunts, but only because the skin on his hands started ripping off during the chin-ups. He felt he couldn't stop because it would be seen as a public failure.
• 1974 (age 60): For the second time, he 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 (450 kg; 71 st) boat. At least that's according to his website. However, according to an account of this event published the day after it occurred in the Los Angeles Times, written by Philip Hager, a Times staff writer, LaLanne was neither handcuffed nor shackled if each of those terms has the unconventional meaning of "tightly binding the wrists or ankles together with a pair of metal fasteners" although that's not how handcuffs or shackles work. Hager says that LaLanne "had his hands and feet bound with cords that allowed minimal freedom". But "minimal" clearly did not mean "no" freedom, since elsewhere in the article Hager describes LaLanne's method of propulsion through the water as "half-breast-stroke, half-dog paddle" which is how you swim with your hands tied.
• 1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he 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 (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
• 1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile (1.6 km) 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): towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg; 460 st) of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp.
• 1980 (age 66): towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile (1.6 km) in less than one hour.
• 1984 (age 70): handcuffed, shackled, and fighting strong winds and currents, towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 mile.
• 1994 (age 80):  handcuffed and shackled in order to fight strong winds and currents and swim 1.5 miles while towing 80 boats with 80 people from the Queensway Bay Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
• 2004 (age 90):  Lalanne tells reporters he and his wife, Elaine, were still, "...very sexually active..."

My mother-in-law (from what I’m told) used to watch (and attempt to follow) Lalanne.  I recently spent some time on youtube looking at clips from his old TV shows.  While the minimalist set (a curtain and a metal chair usually) and ever-present jumpsuit may have seemed a bit hokey to me, I was struck by the simplicity of what Lalanne did.

He focused on body weight exercises and basic calisthenics.  He incorporated light weight work and stretching.  I doubt highly many people today could keep up with one of the episodes of his fitness show.  Perhaps even more impressive (and challenging) is how Lalanne spoke frankly about personal accountability, decision-making and following through on promises and hopes.  

There were no get-fit-quick gimmicks with Lalanne.  In one episode he stood by a metal box with tape on the front and an homely “1,000 lbs.” written on it in magic marker.  He asked how he was going to move that weight and explained how it was nearly impossible for any one person to do it.  He then proceeded flip open the lid of the box and take out 5 lb. plates, tossing them noisily onto the floor of the studio set.  “Even a child can move five pounds,” he said.  “So why don’t we start by doing what we CAN do...”  Simple.  Obvious.  Still...profound.

Today I have posted a quote from Lalanne as my facebook status:

"Everything you do in life

...good or bad - 

don't blame God, 

don't blame the devil...

blame you. 

The thoughts you think, 

the words you utter, 

the foods you eat, 

the exercise you do...

all controlled by you." 

Lalanne never claimed to be superhuman.  He was merely convinced, committed and compelled.  

He was convinced a lifestyle of regular activity and healthy eating could help his fitness and prolong his days.

He was committed to living out what he believed and communicating that to others, too.  Lalanne did some form of exercise seven days a week (although he complained about how once he neared 70 his 4 a.m. workouts eventually got moved to 5:30).  

He was compelled...not by becoming rich or famous, but by treating himself with discipline, dignity and deference.

If you get some time, look up some of those classic black-and-white snippets...I bet they’ll challenge you.  

...and if they do, I also pray you’ll challenge yourself.

I’m not looking for boats to tow or chin-up bars to master, but I AM looking in the mirror.  Becoming who I ought to be doesn’t require any fancy equipment or opportunities...it merely requires my full attention and effort.

Happy Birthday, Jack...and congratulations on a life well-lived.