Meet Jake

“I’ve always said that academics and fitness go hand-in-hand and by giving schools the tools, we can build strong bodies and minds while boosting confidence, self-esteem and focus in the classroom.  I’ve dedicated fitness centers to states around the country and have witnessed firsthand what happens when a school receives a brand new fitness center.  Fitness among kids is contagious!  It’s pretty amazing!”

Jake Steinfeld

Chairman, National Foundation for Governors' Fitness Councils

Jake “Body by Jake®” Steinfeld is the fitness industry’s reigning icon.

Creating the personal fitness training industry over 40 years ago, Jake has been the guiding light for health & wellness in lifestyle, sports, and entertainment ever since.

Utilizing his entrepreneurial street-smarts, Jake created the first 24-hour fitness lifestyle network, FiTTV®, which he later sold to News Corp.®  Following the sale of FiTTV, Jake launched another multi-media innovation, ExerciseTV®, the first On-Demand fitness television network with partners Comcast® and Time Warner®.

Teaming with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a division of Universal Music Group®, Jake formed a fresh inventive label called Body by Jake Music (http://bodybyjake.com/). Every fitness routine needs a soundtrack to keep you motivated. Follow the beat of Body by Jake’s music compilations featuring artists The Black Eyed Peas, Ne-Yo, Ellie Goulding, David Guetta and many more.

Jake is a NY Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author with his I’ve Seen a Lot of Famous People Naked and They’ve Got Nothing on You! His other titles include Take a Shot, A Remarkable Story of Perseverance, Friendship and a Really Crazy Adventure about the creation of Major League Lacrosse; Get Strong! Body by Jake’s Guide to Building Confidence, Muscles and a Great Future for Teenage Guys; PowerLiving by Jake, Eleven Lessons to Change Your Life; and his instructional fitness books DON’T QUIT!® and Body by Jake.

Jake is also an avid film and television producer. His film The Grizzlies, is an inspiring film about HOPE and what is possible when human beings are no longer limited by fear or the challenges of their circumstances. The Grizzlies was number one at the Canadian box office for five weeks in a row and won the DGC award for Best Director in Feature Film as well as Audience Awards in Calgary, Minneapolis, and Palm Springs Film Festivals.

Jake was the dominant force in direct to consumer sales of home fitness equipment for over a decade. He had the most profitable string of hits in the infomercial industry and spent fifteen years on Home Shopping Network promoting his Body by Jake brand.

Understanding that childhood obesity was becoming an epidemic in America, Jake declared war on the disease and vowed to make a real difference. He became Chairman of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports® under Governor Schwarzenegger in 2006 and served until 2011 under Governor Brown. By inspiring millions to live life with a “DON’T QUIT!” attitude, he established California as the nation’s first fitness state.

Named Chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils® (www.natgovfit.org) in 2012, Jake brought his “DON’T QUIT!” attitude to the national stage following his belief that “academics and fitness go hand in hand.” Through the cooperation of public and private partnerships with companies such as The Coca-Cola Company®, NIKE®, and the Anthem Foundation®, the NFGFC rewards brand new “DON’T QUIT!” fitness centers to elementary and middle schools who show innovative ways to promote fitness and nutrition in their schools and community. The NFGFC has already dedicated DON’T QUIT! fitness centers in forty-two states including Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota in 2022 with the goal of rewarding “DON’T QUIT!” fitness centers to every state in the USA.

Jake’s business acumen extended to the world of sports through his founding of Major League Lacrosse® (www.majorleaguelacrosse.com), the nation’s first professional outdoor lacrosse league. And then, he also launched the World Series of Youth Lacrosse, a global sports event.

Recognizing Jake’s leadership in promoting health and fitness as a model for the country, Jake was chosen to be an official Olympic torchbearer, one of only 22 Americans selected to carry the inspirational flame for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. 

Jake also proudly served as Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades, CA from 2013-2016.