1. Jack LaLanne described himself as being a "sugarholic" and a "junk food junkie" until he was 15 years old.
40 Facts About Jack LaLanne
1. 2.
Jack LaLanne had behavioral problems but "turned his life around" after listening to a public lecture about the benefits of good nutrition by health food pioneer Paul Bragg.
3.
LaLanne hosted the first and longest-running nationally syndicated fitness television program, The Jack LaLanne Show, from 1951 to 1985.
4.
Jack LaLanne published numerous books on fitness and was widely recognized for publicly preaching the health benefits of regular exercise and a good diet.
5.
Jack LaLanne started working out with weights when they were an oddity.
6.
Jack LaLanne invented a number of exercise machines, including the pulley and leg extension devices and the Smith machine, as well as protein supplement drinks, resistance bands, and protein bars.
7.
Jack LaLanne produced his own series of videos so viewers could be coached virtually.
8.
Jack LaLanne pioneered coaching the elderly and disabled to exercise in order to enhance their strength and health.
9.
Jack LaLanne gained recognition for his success as a bodybuilder and for his prodigious feats of strength.
10.
Jack LaLanne was inducted into the California Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
11.
Jack LaLanne grew up in Bakersfield, California and later moved with his family to Berkeley, California circa 1928.
12.
In 1939, his father died at the age of 58 in a San Francisco hospital, which Jack LaLanne attributed to "coronary thrombosis and cirrhosis of the liver".
13.
Besides having a bad temper, Jack LaLanne suffered from headaches and bulimia, and temporarily dropped out of high school at the age of 14.
14.
Jack LaLanne went back to school, where he made the high school football team, and later went on to college in San Francisco where he earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree.
15.
Jack LaLanne studied Henry Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body and concentrated on bodybuilding and weightlifting.
16.
Jack LaLanne recalls the initial reaction of doctors to his promotion of weight lifting:.
17.
Jack LaLanne designed the first leg extension machines, pulley machines using cables, weight selectors, and many other inventions, none of which he patented, that are now standard in the fitness industry.
18.
Jack LaLanne invented the original model of what became the Smith machine.
19.
Jack LaLanne invented resistance bands, which he marketed as the Glamour Stretcher for women and the Easy Way for men with different tensions.
20.
Jack LaLanne encouraged women to lift weights, and he was the first to have a coed health club.
21.
Jack LaLanne eventually licensed all his health clubs to the Bally company, now known as Bally Total Fitness.
22.
Jack LaLanne presented fitness and exercise advice on television for 34 years.
23.
The Jack LaLanne Show was the longest-running television exercise program.
24.
Jack LaLanne met his wife Elaine while she was working for the local station.
25.
In 1959, Jack LaLanne recorded Glamour Stretcher Time, a workout album that provided phonograph-based instruction for exercising with an elastic cord called the Glamour Stretcher.
26.
Jack LaLanne included his dog Happy as a way to attract children to the show.
27.
Later in the run, another dog named Walter was used, with Jack LaLanne claiming "Walter" stood for "We All Love To Exercise Regularly".
28.
Jack LaLanne published several books and videos on fitness and nutrition, appeared in movies, and recorded a song with Connie Haines.
29.
Jack LaLanne marketed exercise equipment, a range of vitamin supplements, and two models of electric juicers.
30.
Jack LaLanne played the role of "Hercules" in the Christmas television movie, "The Year Without Santa Claus" starring John Goodman, in 2006, his last acting role.
31.
Jack LaLanne celebrated his 95th birthday with the release of a new book titled Live Young Forever.
32.
When exercising, Jack LaLanne worked out repetitively with weights until he experienced "muscle fatigue" in whatever muscle groups he was exercising, or when it became impossible for him to go on with a particular routine; this is most often referred to as "training to failure".
33.
Jack LaLanne's home contained two gyms and a pool that he used daily.
34.
Jack LaLanne continued with his two-hour workouts into his 90s, which included walking.
35.
Jack LaLanne summed up his philosophy about good nutrition and exercise:.
36.
Jack LaLanne often stressed that artificial food additives, drugs, and processed foods contributed to making people mentally and physically ill.
37.
Jack LaLanne was married to his second wife, Elaine Doyle Jack LaLanne, for over five decades.
38.
Jack LaLanne is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, California.
39.
In 2007, Jack LaLanne was awarded The President's Council's Lifetime Achievement Award.
40.
Jack LaLanne appeared as himself in the following films and television shows:.