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From a professional bodybuilder and longtime Wall Street Journal reporter, a manifesto on how women can finally break free from diet culture by tapping into their innate physical power

When Wall Street Journal reporter Anne Marie Chaker discovered bodybuilding as a hobby in 2017, she was recovering from a series of traumas, including postpartum depression, the end of her marriage, and the sudden death of her father. By throwing herself into strength training and stretching her body beyond what she imagined to be its limits, she began to regain confidence. Slowly, she challenged the deeply entrenched body insecurities she realized she held, and her life changed in ways she never could have imagined.

In Lift, Chaker explores the forces that have led generations of women to internalize the message that they should make themselves smaller and explains why, instead, women should understand and embrace what they are truly capable of. Along the way, she highlights research that dismantles the conventional story of women’s bodies. As Chaker argues, building muscle can help women find true power and confidence that goes far beyond how we look: it can dramatically change how we move through the world, reshape how we respond to setbacks, and transform how we see our value. Most important, it shifts the message we send the next generation once and for all and will help girls step into their power from a young age.

Bridging narrative storytelling with empowering and actionable takeaways, Lift will help readers recognize their inner athlete and live a life centered on self-love.

Anne Marie Chaker is a veteran journalist and professional bodybuilder. During her two-decade career at The Wall Street Journal, she held reporting jobs all over the paper, from the Journal’s regional editions to the Spot News Desk during the September 11 attack. She has covered everything from politics to news events, consumer trends, education, the workplace, and the major sociological shifts of our time. Her article “I Never Thought I’d Write This: I Am a Female Bodybuilder” has generated more than 500k views since it was published in 2020. Chaker lives in the Washington, D.C., area with her partner, Rick; daughters Juliette and Sylvie; and their overeager pup, Ninja.