Fitness icon Jack LaLanne turns 95 years young this coming Saturday September 26. For many birthday celebrations, LaLanne's legend grew by performing feats of strength often involving swimming handcuffed and shackled while towing boats filled with people. For this upcoming birthday, LaLanne will demonstrate his still considerable strength by blowing out all 95 candles with one breath. However the flames will pass to another LaLanne. Grandnephew and San Francisco CrossFit Personal Trainer Chris LaLanne will attempt to break Jack's world record of performing 1,000 pull-ups and 1,000 pushups in 1 hour and 22 minutes.

Chris LaLanne and Steve Trutane (photo courtesy of Steve Trutane)

Chris believes that CrossFit is yet another Jack LaLanne tradition. "Jack LaLanne was CrossFit before CrossFit was CrossFit. Jack was a gymnast. He was a bodybuilder and a strongman. That is CrossFit. It incorporates free weights, body weight exercises, high-intensity aerobic and anaerobic systems. I was a bodybuilder in college and several years thereafter until I found CrossFit. CrossFit is far more athletic than bodybuilding. I can tell you that before I found CrossFit, I did not believe I was capable of doing a thousand pull-ups and a thousand pushups. Now after CrossFitting for several years, I believe I will finish this workout. CrossFit has allowed me to become not only mentally but physically capable of attempting this workout."

Chris will attempt the record with one modification. "Jack did dead-hang pull-ups but in CrossFit we do something called a Kipping pull-up . It's more of a gymnastic style pull-up. It's very dynamic. What I'm doing is something called a butterfly Kipping pull-up which is a step further in terms of how dynamic it is and what it looks like."

The event is open to the public and takes place at LaLanne Fitness at 590 Howard Street in Downtown San Francisco at 8:30 PM this Saturday September 26.

For Jack LaLanne fans who want to participate in a group feat of strength, San Francisco triathlete Steve Trutane is organizing the first annual Jack LaLanne Day . This event is also open to the public and starts in Berkeley (where Jack got his start) at 9 am Saturday.

Stay tuned for photos and recaps on the LaLanne and Trutane events. Happy birthday Jack!