Perfectly Leveraged for the Squat
Summary
This episode explores the history of women's strength through the life of Jan Todd, the first woman to lift the legendary Dinny Stones in Scotland. Todd recounts her journey from a 1970s powerlifter to a historian who uncovered lost records of Victorian-era strongwomen, challenging the pseudoscientific myths that once deemed female muscle dangerous. With insights from author Bonnie Tsui, the story examines how cultural attitudes toward women's physicality have shifted from viewing strength as a disruption to recognizing it as a vital form of independence and health.
Topics discussed
Sponsors and show introduction
Jan Todd lifts the Denny Stones in Scotland
Jan Todd's legacy in women's powerlifting
Historical myths about women's strength
Jack LaLanne and the shift to fitness for looks
Jan Todd's childhood and family background
Meeting Terry Todd and early strength feats
Cultural shifts: Title IX and Battle of the Sexes
Jan begins weightlifting and sets records
Breaking world records and media attention
Discovery of lost history in a strongman's estate
Sponsor breaks
Acquiring the Otley Coulter collection
Victorian era strongwomen and 'majestic womanhood'
Jan's cancer diagnosis and survival
The Stark Center archive and Jan's current life
Modern perspectives on women's strength
Credits and final sponsor reads
Listen ad-free on Castria