Stronger

“When I heard about Stronger, I was in heaven. The history, science, and practice of lifting weights, all in one place? That’s my kind of book! It tells the inspiring stories of athletes and scholars such as my friend Jan Todd, the pioneer of women’s powerlifting, and it shows the powerful research that proves that building strength and muscle could be a type of medicine for all kinds of people. Even if you’ve never picked up a weight—Stronger is for you. But be careful: Something tells me that by the time you finish, you’ll find plenty of reasons to try out resistance training.”—Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California, seven-time Mr. Olympia, and bestselling author of The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding and Be Useful“The very definition of cutting-edge… Stronger is an elegant, sophisticated, and substantial piece of work… It’s absolutely enthralling, written with a masterly zip and zing — an eye for the arresting visual detail and an ear for the striking quotation.”—The American Spectator“I started lifting weights in 1956, when I was fourteen. When Stronger is in readers’ hands, I’ll be eighty-three—I’ll still be lifting. From the Histories by Herodotus to Pumping Iron—from Ancient Greece to Arnold Schwarzenegger—this is the enlightening history of weight training. I’m a full-time writer. I spend every day sitting on my glutes. Do your glutes a favor—read Stronger.”—John Irving, National Book Award winning author of The World According to Garp, Oscar winning screenwriter of The Cider House Rules, and New York Times bestselling author of The Last Chairlift“Stronger is at once a meditation on the relationship between soul and body and a practical guide to growing old. It is thoughtful, richly reported and totally compelling. The first thing I did after finishing it was buy a set of weights.”—Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of the New York Times bestseller The Sixth Extinction“Through meticulous research and first-rate storytelling, Stronger will reshape how you think about health, longevity, and what matters as we age. Cardio, core, yoga exercises—sure they’re good for you. But this book shows how developing and maintaining muscle might just be the most important thing a person can do to preserve and protect their health.”—Guy Raz, creator and host of the podcasts How I Built This and Wow in the World, and author of the New York Times bestselling books inspired by both podcasts“If history, anthropology, and lifting are down your alley, you will enjoy Stronger. Find out how our ancestors have shaped our views on muscle and strength in unexpected ways.”—Pavel Tsatsouline, founder and CEO of StrongFirst.com and author of Kettlebell Simple & Sinister“Stronger is a pioneering narrative—a fascinating exploration, years in the making, of a hugely important part of human life and culture. It raises the question that great books do: Why has this not been written before?”—William Langewiesche, nationally bestselling author of the National Book Critic’s Circle Award finalist American Ground“In these burning times, Stronger offers a reminder that we can still have influence on the most vital and intimate world we inhabit from cradle to grave: our bodies. Reading it, one has to wonder, who wouldn’t want to be strong?”—Rick Bass, author of With Every Great Breath: New and Selected Essays and the Story Prize winner For a Little While: New and Collected Stories“A convincing argument for appreciating and maintaining your muscles and health.” —Booklist“An engagingly learned look at the human body.”—Kirkus, Most Anticipated Nonfiction of Spring 2025“A vigorous examination of the history and science of strength training… this delivers.”—Publishers Weekly

A longtime Vanity Fair contributing editor, Michael Joseph Gross has published investigative reporting, essays, and books about culture, technology, politics, religion, and business. He was raised in rural Illinois and lives in New York City.