Jack LaLanne, do pushups for me.

Dear Jack LaLanne,

You’re kind of my hero.

I was reading about the importance of pushups in withstanding the difficulties of aging in the New York Times, and discovered Jack LaLanne, “the godfather of physical fitness.”

In addition to setting a world record for pushups in 1956, for doing 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes, Jack invented the first leg extension machine, opened the first “health studio” in 1936, and created many fitness videos, including a “face workout” video. He also swam the length of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment in 1954. Twenty years later, at the age of 61, he swam the same distance handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

Top it all off with a website that would make any art school kid green with ironic envy, and a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer. This man is golden. And I want to meet him. (Did I mention, he’s 93 and still kicking hard?)

Here’s a video from the 1950’s of Jack doing fingertip push ups.