Table of Contents
Introduction 1
1 The Original Warriors: Ancient Depictions of Strength 9
2 The Outliers: Victorian-Era Women Who Walked on the Wild Side 21
3 Sink or Swim: Strength as a Means of Survival 41
4 The Sandwina Effect: Strongwomen, the Circus, and Suffrage 53
5 Beach Babes: Pudgy Stockton and the Crowd-Pleasing Ladies of Muscle Beach 67
6 Unladylike: When a Babe Is Not Considered a Babe 83
7 Breaking into the Boy's Club: Running toward Opportunity 101
8 A Woman's Place is in the Weight Room: The Rise of Strength Sports in the '70s 119
9 A Built Body: When Muscles Are Required to Shine 131
10 Form Follows Function: How Body Expectations Are Born 143
11 The Power Within: How Outer Strength Breeds Inner Confidence 157
12 Strong(h)er than Yesterday: The Modern Athlete and the Fight for Equality 171
Afterword 183
Athlete Bios 191
About the Author 221
Acknowledgments 223
Historical Photo Credits 225
Portrait Credits 226
Notes 229