LaLanne, 92: Working out is "a pain in the gluties."

The Wall Street Journal ran a great interview with Jack "Godfather of Fitness" LaLanne yesterday and it is a hoot! I seriously want to hang out with this man - he can motivate me and make me laugh. Some of my fave lines from this 92-years-young exercise buff:

"The way people eat today is sick. Would you even feed your dog a cup of coffee and a doughnut in the morning?"

"It's a pain in the gluties [working out.] But you gotta do it. Dying is easy, living is tough. I hate working out. Hate it. But I like the results."

"Before I eat something I ask 'What is it doing for me, the most important person on Earth?' "

"French people live the longest and they have wine with lunch and dinner every day. Americans drink milk instead. Milk is for a suckling calf. How many creatures still use milk after they're weaned? Man."

"People make excuses and they're lying to themselves. Thirty or 40 minutes two to three times a week is nothing considering you're taking care of the most priceless possession you have."

"I'm just not as strong now. You have to forget about what you used to do and do the best you can with what you have. But I'm doing pretty good for a 90-something year-old poop."

PS Did you know LaLanne is credited with inventing the first leg extension machine, started what became Bally's Total Fitness and only eats two meals a day, including a brunch of 3-4 hard-boiled egg whites, a cup of broth-type soup, oatmeal with soy milk, raisins and a plate of fruit?

Here he is in 1940.

Here he is now.

Stud!! Love this guy.

Comments

Did you ever watch his show on tv when you were a kid? It was a riot! I'd turn it on just to be entertained and would try to follow along with the exercises, too.

Jack LaLanne rocks!! Even his juicer infomercials entertain me (what?!). What do you all think of the no-dairy thing he advocates? I just finished reading Skinny B*tch and they say the same thing - excpet they're vegan. If you're up for a book review Leslie - I'd love to hear what you think of their plan! Is it healthy to totally take out dairy? All animal products?

Charlotte - I know you asked Leslie but for what it is worth here's my 2 cents the no dairy thing: I'll admit that I thought my nutrionist was nuts when she told me to drop it out of my diet. I was in love with all cheeses and couldn't imagine life without it. But I dropped it out of my diet and really only drink soymilk as a replacement and I feel so much better. I didn't realize how much I was depending on it for quick protein fix when really I was consuming too much fat and not the "good" kind. As a result, my cholestrol is normal again (keep in mind it was borderline dangerous while I was a VARSITY athlete working out 3-4 hours a day). I do miss butter and cream cheese but find that spicy hummus and crunchy peanut butter does the trick for me.

As for no animal products whatsoever I'm not so sure. I will often have meatless meals but still rely on some light meat for a good protein boost. I fully support and know many vegans but it's not for me :) (sorry for the long post!)

Jack's comments were a riot! I love old guys, especially named Jack (my grandfather is also named Jack).

My own two cents about the non-dairy lifestyle... Many people have gotten by with no dairy lifestyles, especially lactose-intolerant. Just consult with a doctor about what kind of supplements you may need to take to replace what you wouldn't be getting naturally.

Just as an FYI: milk is still the best source of calcium. To this day, despite science's many great moments, no one has replicated the same strand of calcium that you'll find in milk. It really does do the body good!

Terrific article! Thanks for sharing.

I don't know if it's okay to comment on other people's book, but I read the skinny b***h book and while it's an interesting political book, it is nutritionally just wrong. for example, a cookie with sugar will make you fat, but a cookie from a health food store with organic cane juice(still sugar) won't? not so much. So go no dairy if you think it's a good idea for you(getting rid of liquid milk does help me feel better) but not because that book tells you to. please.

I totally remember seeing him on TV, doing one-handed push-ups, and thinking, "That's crazy!"

Re the milk question, for me personally, I drink skim milk a lot (in the form of cereal) and also low-fat cheese and yogurt. It makes me feel healthy, strong and I like the way it tastes. Some people choose soy milk or to abstain from all dairy as a matter of taste preference, animal rights issue, they feel healthier when dairy-free, etc. I can't give out medical advice, so I'm just telling you what I do - and personally, I can't imagine not having the occasional Dairy Queen Blizzard or my daily Honey Bunches of Oats and milk.

I have called a nutritionist colleague of mine to get her take and will report back.

PS Charlotte, did you just challenge me to a book read? I accept! Will get myself a copy and report back.

Good site! Good resources here, All the best!

Ooooh thank you everyone!! All of your responses were very helpful to me - and interesting. I'm looking forward to hearing what you (and everyone else) thinks of Skinny B*tch. You have a nutritionist friend?? Man, I gotta get me one of those! Make sure and tell me what he/she says!
Thanks again, everyone:)

Charlotte - make sure you check out my new post about ditching milk!!!

I used to live in the town where he lives, and around those parts he was well known to be not adverse to enjoying a cocktail or four.

:-)

Ha, Jack LaLane's awesome! I agree with most of the stuff he says. I'm not a huge milk drinker, but I don't really see the problem with it. Sure, we may be the only species that drinks it once we're adults, but that's only because we have opposable thumbs and can squeeze it out of other animals. Otherwise, I don't think we would've started drinking it...sucking on a cow's teat would be pretty difficult, especially if they kick.

I'm surprised he eats so little, but I guess when you're that old, your metabolism slows down quite a bit. My grandma is getting older and she told me that she can't eat a lot anymore because she'll "get fat".