American fitness expert (1914-2011)
It isn't what you do once in a while that's a problem; it's what you do all the time.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Share Guide
Many people have arthritis and rheumatism; they get bum knees, a bum back. A lot of guys get a little pain in the toe or knee and then they won't exercise. Well gee, you have 640 muscles in your body. There may be a few exercises you can't do, but there are hundreds you can do! Too many people make excuses like I am too old, or I don't have the time, or it costs money. Then when they get sick they go to the doctor and want a shot in the backside to make them healthy.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Share Guide
Maybe 50 or 60 percent of all divorces are predicated on someone's being physically unfit. Who wants to live with negativism? Love goes out the window.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Playboy, 1984
Jesus, when he was on Earth, he was out there helping people, right? Why did he perform those miracles? To call attention to his profession. Why do you think I do these incredible feats ? To call attention to my profession!
JACK LALANNE
"Jack LaLanne dies at 96; spiritual father of U.S. fitness movement", Los Angeles Times, January 23, 2011
If it tastes good, spit it out. All those cakes and pies and candy and ice cream -- all that terrible fast food stuff! I just bought a new corvette sports car ... would I put oil in the gas tank? Would I?
JACK LALANNE
interview, Alive Magazine, March 2007
People thought I was a charlatan and a nut. The doctors were against me -- they said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive.
JACK LALANNE
"Jack LaLanne, Founder of Modern Fitness Movement, Dies at 96", New York Times, January 23, 2011
My workout is my obligation to life. It's my tranquilizer. It's part of the way I tell the truth--and telling the truth is what's kept me going all these years.
JACK LALANNE
"Jack LaLanne Is Still an Animal", Outside Online, May 2, 2004
George Burns was more athletic than you think he was. And he was a very social man--he loved people, he enjoyed life. He worked at living. Old George was a social lion, he got around and did things. That's the key right there. It starts with your brain. Some people, when they get to 60 years old have no interests anymore, have no friends left. George Burns was busy all the time doing something.
JACK LALANNE
"30 Inspirational health quotes by fitness guru Jack LaLanne", Examiner, May 18, 2013
Anything in life is possible if you make it happen.
JACK LALANNE
Fiscal Fitness: 8 Steps to Wealth & Health from America's Leaders of Fitness
How do you know what's really organic? Today, there's all these impurities in the water and the air. The water for the fruits and vegetables has junk in it. If you get enough vitamins and minerals out of normal food and whole grains, and you get enough proteins and exercise (that's the key) then nature builds up a tolerance to all of these things. It's survival of the fittest. You can't have everything perfect, that's impossible, but the fit survive.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Share Guide
Sex has to do with imagination, so the sky is the limit. If you're not doing bodily harm, why shouldn't you do what turns you on?
JACK LALANNE
interview, Playboy, 1984
If man makes it, I don't eat it!
JACK LALANNE
"Jack LaLanne on Aging Well", Tony Horton Life, December 18, 2010
It's a bunch of bull! If God, or nature, or whatever you want to call it didn't want you to mix carbohydrates, starches and fats, you'd never have a grain, you'd never have a vegetable or a fruit, would you? What's in a grain? It's got carbohydrates, starches, fats, sugar. It's got everything in it. Why does nature do that? One guy says don't mix carbohydrates, and the other guy says don't mix protein with it; it's all a bunch of lard, something to sell a book. And the poor public is so confused, they don't know what to do.
JACK LALANNE
"Jack LaLanne on Aging Well", Tony Horton Life, December 18, 2010
It's important to change things around. Maybe for 30 days I might do ten reps with high weight, but the tenth rep should be to failure.... Then you build muscle and you build strength. Then for say 30 days I'll cut the weight down a bit and do fifteen reps. Then maybe for 30 days I'll add weight and do only 5 or 6 reps, then for another 30 days I'll do everything really slow. Try that sometimes. Like you are doing a prayer. Eight counts to bring it up and eight counts to let it down. That is very hard, I'll tell you! Then I'd do everything for a while real fast. You aren't used to any of this so the body responds.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Share Guide
I eat 6 or 7 raw vegetables every day, 4 or 5 pieces of fresh fruit. I eat egg whites each day. If I eat bread, it has to be whole wheat. I eat brown rice. I don't eat between meals. I eat at 11 o'clock in the morning and 7 o'clock at night.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Alive Magazine, March 2007
There is no fountain for youth. What you put in your body is what you get out of it. You would not feed your dog a coffee and doughnut for breakfast followed by a cigarette. You will kill the damn dog.
JACK LALANNE
Live Young Forever: 12 Steps to Optimum Health, Fitness and Longevity
I was going to be a singer. If I hadn't been in my profession, I was going to be an Opera singer. That's from a young kid. I had all these records from all those famous Opera singers. I wanted to be an Opera singer -- that was my whole thing and physical fitness got in the way, thank God.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Alive Magazine, March 2007
Stop growing and you're in the casket.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Playboy, 1984
Twelve to seventeen minutes is plenty on the treadmill--if it's done fast. That's all you need for cardiovascular benefit. You don't need to spend that extra time unless you are over weight and you need to burn off extra calories. Do it vigorously, like somebody is chasing you. You've got to do it hard. Otherwise, if you just take it easy and do it longer, you are spending all that time when you don't need it. Use that extra time with your weights instead.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Share Guide
I have one thing in my mind. How can I get people to start taking care of themselves? That's all I think about.
JACK LALANNE
interview, Alive Magazine, March 2007