Hi, I’m Anne Marie Chaker. I spent years as a journalist at The Wall Street Journal covering health, wellness, and women’s lives. Then, at 50, I took a leap: I left journalism and became a professional bodybuilder. Today, I use my platform to challenge how we think about strength, aging, and what’s possible—especially for women.

I want to share five key insights from my new book, LIFT: How Women Can Reclaim Their Physical Power and Transform Their Lives.

First: Women were never meant to be thin. Anthropologist Alison Murray’s research shows prehistoric women had bone structures like today’s elite rowers—proof they were strong, active, and central to building early societies. Our obsession with thinness is a modern invention, fueled by fashion and diet culture. The truth is we were built for endurance, resilience, and longevity.

Second: Women are tougher than men. Although men usually have more upper-body strength, studies show women resist fatigue better, often outlasting men by 36% in endurance tasks. History supports this: women hunted, built communities, and led. One Viking grave in Sweden, long thought to belong to a male warrior, was revealed through DNA testing to hold a woman—likely a leader. Women have always been strong; we just haven’t always been recognized for it.

Third: Muscle is medicine. More muscle means better sleep, stronger bones, sharper thinking, and longer life. Resistance training even protects our DNA by slowing cellular aging. During menopause, women risk losing up to 20% of bone density, but strength training can prevent and reverse this loss.

Fourth: You have to eat to lift. Building muscle demands nourishment, not restriction. Prioritize protein—aim for around one gram per pound of ideal body weight—and fuel your body with balanced meals. For women taught to diet and shrink themselves, this can feel radical, but eating enough is essential for strength and health.

Fifth: Just start. You don’t need a gym or fancy gear—bodyweight exercises, resistance bands, or a single kettlebell can get you going. Lifting is a mindset: it’s about seeing yourself as powerful and worth the effort. Once you begin, you’ll discover how strength transforms not just your body, but your entire life.

I hope LIFT inspires you to see strength as something you build at every age—and a way to live boldly. Let’s lift, together.

Anne Marie Chaker
Author, Journalist, Speaker
💻 annemariechaker.com
✉️ amc@lifteverybody.com
📱 (646) 594-1043
📚 LIFT (Penguin Random House) on preorder now
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