Publicity photo of Jack LaLanne taken in 1961 by Cliff Riddle in Hollywood. “I can never die. That would ruin my image.”
“Dying is easy. Living is a pain in the butt. It’s like an athletic event. You’ve got to train for it. You’ve got to eat right. You’ve got to exercise. You’re health account, your bank account, they’re the same thing. The more you put in, the more you can take out. Exercise is king and nutrition is queen: together you have a kingdom.”
I remember watching bits of the Jack LaLanne Show in 1964 when I was nine on a black and white television set. His show began in 1953 and lasted until 1985. There were often newspaper accounts of his feats of strength. I always thought his jumpsuit was unusual, and I admired his enthusiasm.
- To celebrate his fortieth birthday in 1954, Jack swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment. The two tanks he wore on his back were out of air at the end. Powerful waves threw him on rocks.
- In 1957, LaLanne towed a 2,500-pound cabin cruiser in the Golden Gate Channel.
- For his forty-fourth birthday, Jack used a paddleboard to make a 30-mile journey from the Farallon Islands to San Francisco nonstop. It took him 9 ½ hours.
- In 1976, at the age of 62, LaLanne celebrated the nation’s 200th birthday by swimming a mile in Long Beach Harbor while towing 13 boats a mile. The boats contained 76 people and represented the original colonies.
- When Jack was seventy, he towed 70 people a mile and a half from a bridge in Long Beach to the Queen Mary.
Author’s comment: It should be noted Jack was only 5 feet 6 inches tall.
(“10 Incredible Feats and Contributions of Jack LaLanne” by Roger “Rock” Lockridge, Muscle and Fitness)
Francois Henri LaLanne
Francois Henri LaLanne (September 26, 1914-2011) was nicknamed Jack by his older brother. He grew up in Bakersfield, California. His father died of coronary thrombosis and cirrhosis of the liver.
LaLanne was addicted to sugar and junk food as a boy. He had a violent temper and headaches and suffered from bulimia. Jack said he was miserable, and “it was like hell.” He dropped out of high school at age 14. (Wikipedia)
LaLanne heard Paul Bragg, a health food pioneer, give a talk on health and nutrition. He focused on the dangers that meat and sugar posed to the human body. This message resonated deeply with Jack, and he changed his diet and began exercising.
Bragg was an Aquarius (February 6, 1895). Libran LaLanne had his Jupiter there. This would have caused the message to have a positive impact.
Jack began to work out daily. He became an avid swimmer and lifted weights. He had to eat alone on the football field to avoid being teased about eating raw vegetables, whole bread, raisins, and nuts.
LaLanne Was a True Pioneer
LaLanne was a true pioneer in the health and fitness industry. He urged viewers on his TV show to get off the couch and copy his movements. This was a precursor to today’s videos. Jack “designed the first leg extension machines, the first pulley machines using cables, weight selectors, resistance bands, and many other inventions.” He did not patent any of them. LaLanne opened the first health and fitness club in Oakland in 1936. (Ibid) He encouraged women to lift weights and had the first coed club.
Jack LaLanne’s workouts with weights were two hours long. He did them until his muscles became tired. He ate 8 to 10 raw vegetables and 3-4 pieces of fruit every day. Jack also ingested beans, lentils, brown rice, natural grains, and wheat. His protein sources were primarily egg whites and fish. He also drank shakes that contained fresh fruit juice, protein powder, wheat germ, and yeast. (Ibid)
LaLanne’s Birth Chart
Jack LaLanne’s Sun was in Libra, and his Moon was in Capricorn. His Mars in Libra was heavily aspected. It was conjoined with Mercury, trine Saturn and Pluto, and square Neptune. Jack was very self-disciplined. [Moon in Capricorn, Saturn with Mars] He was able to endure pain to accomplish his feats of daring do. Also, the placement of the Moon and Mars aspect provided the drive and discipline necessary for long daily workouts.
With the Mars/Pluto trine, LaLanne used his energy (emotional and physical) positively. This gave him self-confidence and the ability to make new beginnings. He would have been a passionately hard worker. (Parker, The New Compleat Astrologer, p. 144)
Jack had Black Moon Lilith in Taurus. This represents his shadow. He probably felt shame for too much self-indulgence, hence the purging. (Cafe Astrology: Black Moon Lilith in the Natal Chart: Signs and Houses)
6/10 planets are in Cardinal signs. LaLanne’s pioneering efforts are shown by the Jupiter /Uranus conjunction in Aquarius [Progressive ideas, restless, a desire to do something different.] and the Cardinal emphasis. [Enterprising]
Jack worked with the armed forces and helped develop exercise routines for our soldiers and sailors. He passed away at the age of 96.