Rena Malik, MD Podcast Moment: The Science Behind Why Stronger People Feel More Confident
Mar 11, 2026
Michael Joseph Gross, author and cultural historian who wrote STRONGER, explores the hidden history of strength training. He traces the brain vs brawn myth, Victorian women lifting publicly, and how brief strength work could be normalized in daily life. They also discuss strength as a public health tool and surprising research linking lifting to mental and physical health.
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A Personal Example Of Gaps In Care
- Gross describes his father with severe diabetes who became unable to stand and struggled to get strength-minded physical therapy.
- The story illustrates gaps in rehabilitation systems despite available knowledge and willing practitioners.
Gymnastics Started For Girls In Early US
- Early US physical education began in 1825 at a Boston girls' school, where strength doubled in months and only minor hand calluses were reported.
- Jan Todd's archival work shows girls' gymnasiums predated boys' programs and valued measurable strength improvements.
Victorian Women Doing Strict Pull Ups
- Victorian training manuals even illustrated women doing strict overhand pull-ups, suggesting wider female capability than assumed.
- Jan Todd found rare texts showing women in bloomers performing demanding strength moves long ago.
