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A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting

Description:

A SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN STAFF FAVORITE
A MARKETPLACE BEST BOOK OF 2025
A BOOKSHOP BESTSELLER
A TOP 40 MEMOIR ON AMAZON

“A really smart memoir about getting strong, inside and out… this book inspired me to take it up a notch and start power-lifting (and I love it).” —Cheryl Strayed

After an abusive relationship, the death of her father, and a running injury that left her limping, Casey Johnston was unmoored, alone, and burned out. Then she stumbled on a viral blog post about one woman’s experience lifting heavy weights—no dieting, no cardio, no weight loss, and no shame or guilt. With zero experience and nothing left to lose, Casey took a deep breath and stepped into Brooklyn’s grungiest gym. Then she began to question how she had treated her body, and what that treatment meant.
 
Combining wit, rage, and a reporter's eye for detail, Johnston embarks on a radical mission to understand the process of rupture, rest, and repair—not just within her cells and muscles, but also within her spirit. Her personal story frames a take-down of diet culture, and the ways we try to "get healthy" that actively make our bodies weaker, as she dives deep into the science of rebuilding mental, emotional, and physical strength. This is a sharp cultural critique for anyone who has ever longed to reclaim their body.

Review

“[A Physical Education] incorporates memoir, science writing, and cultural critique, offering a technical breakdown of the effects of Johnston’s time in the gym, as well as condemnations of diet culture’s scams and hucksters. The book is not a how-to, but more of a why-to: Strength training, in Johnston’s telling, reframes both body and mind."
 ―
The Atlantic

“Make no mistake: 
A Physical Education is no lifting manifesto. It’s about powerlifting in the same way that Friday Night Lights is about football—it’s there, all over the place, but you don’t have to participate in it or love it to understand it as a metaphor for life, man."
 ―
Vanity Fair

"“Candid and illuminating…more than a fitness transformation story. It’s a reckoning with the mental and physical consequences of a culture that tells women their bodies are problems to be fixed.”
 ―
Harper's Bazaar

“Charts Johnston’s transformation through weightlifting in captivating scientific and emotional detail, articulating the sneaky ways that gender can inform body image, and what women in particular can do to reclaim both their literal and figurative strength.”
 ―
Los Angeles Times

"A physiological, as well as psychological, transformation that reads as nothing short of a revelation.”
 ―
The New Yorker

“With equal parts wit and rigor, Johnston traces her evolution from someone beholden to diet culture to someone who fuels, lifts, and lives on her own terms.”
 ―
Well+Good

“[An] openhearted blend of memoir and science writing… [and] an empowering resource."
 ―
Publishers Weekly

“This book performs power from the inside out. It reminds us: when we turn away from the cultural messages that we must be young, beautiful, and thin—false fictions that ask us to destroy ourselves—we might learn to turn toward hundreds of other forms of beauty, erotic power, senses of self. Where Casey Johnston takes her body, there is joy, release, revelation.”
 ―
Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water and Reading the Waves

“A Physical Education is a profoundly engrossing journey of how one woman stepped into her power, literally and metaphorically. Casey Johnston is our Virgil through the weightroom, seamlessly blending memoir, history, and science. In lucid prose, Johnston shows how strength training is an exit ramp off the hamster wheel of diet culture and antidote to the shame and isolation so many women experience. Full of heart and humor, this book made me want to get stronger.” 
 ―
Elizabeth Greenwood, author of Playing Dead and Love Lockdown

“A thought-provoking memoir about falling in love with weightlifting—and, perhaps more importantly, learning how to unapologetically take up space in the world."
 ―
Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim and On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters

“I can't stop talking about this book.
A Physical Education is for every woman who ever dieted, looked at herself in the mirror and hated her stomach, or cried when she stepped on the scale, which is to say: every woman. This book is both a rallying cry and a testament to what happens when a woman finds her strength. Read this book and get free.”
 ―
Lyz Lenz, author of New York Times bestseller This American Ex-Wife

About the Author

Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weightlifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021.

Details:

A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting

Product ID: U1538773252
Condition: New

BHD1152

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Type: Hardcover
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

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Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

Every product in the BOLO catalogue is sourced through our Verified Global Supply Network of verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of Bahrain. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the Bahrain will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in Bahrain are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

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A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting

Product ID: U1538773252
Condition: New
A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting-0
Type: Hardcover

BHD1152

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of BHD 2. Free for orders above BHD 20.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

Every product in the BOLO catalogue is sourced through our Verified Global Supply Network of verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of Bahrain. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the Bahrain will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in Bahrain are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

Description:

A SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN STAFF FAVORITE
A MARKETPLACE BEST BOOK OF 2025
A BOOKSHOP BESTSELLER
A TOP 40 MEMOIR ON AMAZON

“A really smart memoir about getting strong, inside and out… this book inspired me to take it up a notch and start power-lifting (and I love it).” —Cheryl Strayed

After an abusive relationship, the death of her father, and a running injury that left her limping, Casey Johnston was unmoored, alone, and burned out. Then she stumbled on a viral blog post about one woman’s experience lifting heavy weights—no dieting, no cardio, no weight loss, and no shame or guilt. With zero experience and nothing left to lose, Casey took a deep breath and stepped into Brooklyn’s grungiest gym. Then she began to question how she had treated her body, and what that treatment meant.
 
Combining wit, rage, and a reporter's eye for detail, Johnston embarks on a radical mission to understand the process of rupture, rest, and repair—not just within her cells and muscles, but also within her spirit. Her personal story frames a take-down of diet culture, and the ways we try to "get healthy" that actively make our bodies weaker, as she dives deep into the science of rebuilding mental, emotional, and physical strength. This is a sharp cultural critique for anyone who has ever longed to reclaim their body.

Review

“[A Physical Education] incorporates memoir, science writing, and cultural critique, offering a technical breakdown of the effects of Johnston’s time in the gym, as well as condemnations of diet culture’s scams and hucksters. The book is not a how-to, but more of a why-to: Strength training, in Johnston’s telling, reframes both body and mind."
 ―
The Atlantic

“Make no mistake: 
A Physical Education is no lifting manifesto. It’s about powerlifting in the same way that Friday Night Lights is about football—it’s there, all over the place, but you don’t have to participate in it or love it to understand it as a metaphor for life, man."
 ―
Vanity Fair

"“Candid and illuminating…more than a fitness transformation story. It’s a reckoning with the mental and physical consequences of a culture that tells women their bodies are problems to be fixed.”
 ―
Harper's Bazaar

“Charts Johnston’s transformation through weightlifting in captivating scientific and emotional detail, articulating the sneaky ways that gender can inform body image, and what women in particular can do to reclaim both their literal and figurative strength.”
 ―
Los Angeles Times

"A physiological, as well as psychological, transformation that reads as nothing short of a revelation.”
 ―
The New Yorker

“With equal parts wit and rigor, Johnston traces her evolution from someone beholden to diet culture to someone who fuels, lifts, and lives on her own terms.”
 ―
Well+Good

“[An] openhearted blend of memoir and science writing… [and] an empowering resource."
 ―
Publishers Weekly

“This book performs power from the inside out. It reminds us: when we turn away from the cultural messages that we must be young, beautiful, and thin—false fictions that ask us to destroy ourselves—we might learn to turn toward hundreds of other forms of beauty, erotic power, senses of self. Where Casey Johnston takes her body, there is joy, release, revelation.”
 ―
Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water and Reading the Waves

“A Physical Education is a profoundly engrossing journey of how one woman stepped into her power, literally and metaphorically. Casey Johnston is our Virgil through the weightroom, seamlessly blending memoir, history, and science. In lucid prose, Johnston shows how strength training is an exit ramp off the hamster wheel of diet culture and antidote to the shame and isolation so many women experience. Full of heart and humor, this book made me want to get stronger.” 
 ―
Elizabeth Greenwood, author of Playing Dead and Love Lockdown

“A thought-provoking memoir about falling in love with weightlifting—and, perhaps more importantly, learning how to unapologetically take up space in the world."
 ―
Bonnie Tsui, author of Why We Swim and On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters

“I can't stop talking about this book.
A Physical Education is for every woman who ever dieted, looked at herself in the mirror and hated her stomach, or cried when she stepped on the scale, which is to say: every woman. This book is both a rallying cry and a testament to what happens when a woman finds her strength. Read this book and get free.”
 ―
Lyz Lenz, author of New York Times bestseller This American Ex-Wife

About the Author

Casey Johnston is an American writer and editor. She has written the fitness advice column “Ask a Swole Woman” for multiple outlets since 2016 and a newsletter about weightlifting, She’s a Beast, since 2021.

Details:

Product details by manufacturer
Product details by manufacturer
Product details by manufacturer
Product details by manufacturer
Product details by manufacturer

More from this brand

Similar items from “Culinary”