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On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters
From the bestselling author of
Why We Swim
comes a mind-expanding exploration of muscle—from our ancient obsession with the ideal human form to the modern science of this amazing and adaptable tissue—that will change the way you think about what moves us through the world.
“Remarkable . . . A singular book about the true meanings of strength and flexibility, about our ability to define who we are and who we might be.”
—Ed Yong, New York Times bestselling author of An Immense World and I Contain Multitudes
In On Muscle, Bonnie Tsui brings her signature blend of science, culture, immersive reporting, and personal narrative to examine not just what muscles are but what they mean to us. Cardiac, smooth, skeletal—these three different types of muscle in our bodies make our hearts beat; push food through our intestines, blood through our vessels, babies out the uterus; attach to our bones and allow for motion. Tsui also traces how muscles have defined beauty—and how they have distorted it—through the ages, and how they play an essential role in our physical and mental health.
Tsui introduces us to the first female weightlifter to pick up the famed Scottish Dinnie Stones, then takes us on a 50-mile run through the Nevada desert that follows the path of escape from a Native boarding school—and gives the concept of endurance new meaning. She travels to Oslo, where cutting-edge research reveals how muscles help us bounce back after injury and illness, an important aspect of longevity. She jumps into the action with a historic Double Dutch club in Washington, D.C., to explain anew what Charles Darwin meant by the brain-body connection. Woven throughout are stories of Tsui’s childhood with her Chinese immigrant artist dad—a black belt in karate—who schools her from a young age in a kind of quirky, in-house Muscle Academy.
On Muscle shows us the poetry in the physical, and the surprising ways muscle can reveal what we’re capable of.
“Remarkable . . . A singular book about the true meanings of strength and flexibility, about our ability to define who we are and who we might be.”
—Ed Yong, New York Times bestselling author of An Immense World and I Contain Multitudes
In On Muscle, Bonnie Tsui brings her signature blend of science, culture, immersive reporting, and personal narrative to examine not just what muscles are but what they mean to us. Cardiac, smooth, skeletal—these three different types of muscle in our bodies make our hearts beat; push food through our intestines, blood through our vessels, babies out the uterus; attach to our bones and allow for motion. Tsui also traces how muscles have defined beauty—and how they have distorted it—through the ages, and how they play an essential role in our physical and mental health.
Tsui introduces us to the first female weightlifter to pick up the famed Scottish Dinnie Stones, then takes us on a 50-mile run through the Nevada desert that follows the path of escape from a Native boarding school—and gives the concept of endurance new meaning. She travels to Oslo, where cutting-edge research reveals how muscles help us bounce back after injury and illness, an important aspect of longevity. She jumps into the action with a historic Double Dutch club in Washington, D.C., to explain anew what Charles Darwin meant by the brain-body connection. Woven throughout are stories of Tsui’s childhood with her Chinese immigrant artist dad—a black belt in karate—who schools her from a young age in a kind of quirky, in-house Muscle Academy.
On Muscle shows us the poetry in the physical, and the surprising ways muscle can reveal what we’re capable of.
256 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2025
223 people are currently reading
8505 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Tsui
12 books340 followersBonnie Tsui is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and the bestselling author of Why We Swim, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Time magazine and NPR Best Book of the Year; it has been translated into ten languages and was a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist in Science. Bonnie is also the author of American Chinatown, which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and Sarah and the Big Wave, a children’s book about the first woman to surf Mavericks and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. She is a consultant for the Hulu television series Interior Chinatown. Her new book, On Muscle, will be published in April 2025. Her work has been recognized and supported by Harvard University, the National Press Foundation, the Mesa Refuge, and the Best American Essays series. She lives, swims, and surfs in the Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
October 9, 2025
I listened to about 50% of the audiobook while deep cleaning my house and walking around, keeping myself busy, and sitting with so many beautiful sentences and poignant looks back on life and our relationships with movement and our bodies was a very rewarding experience
May 8, 2025
"AT THE MOST basic level, muscle powers and animates our existence..."
Unfortunately, I did not particularly enjoy On Muscle. I have been strength training for most of my adult life, and will read just about any book I come across on the topic. From the book's title, I was expecting to read some new research on strength training, or other interesting writing centering around weightlifting, training, and their related science and applications. Although there was some of that, it somewhat took a backseat to other writing. The finished product fell short of my expectations. More below.
Author Bonnie Tsui is an American writer and journalist of Hong Kong descent. She was born in New York, New York, graduated from Harvard University, and currently lives in Berkeley, California.
Bonnie Tsui:
She writes with a fairly decent style here, and this one shouldn't struggle to hold the reader's attention. She drops the quote at the start of this review, and it continues:
In this short quote she talks about the aim of the book:
The author talks quite a bit here about Jan Todd, an early trailblazing female powerlifter, who held many strength records. She mentions a funny clip of her on the Johnny Carson Show, where he tries to deadlift 415lbs. She also talks about Todd's incredible record-setting lifting of the famous Scottish Dinnie Stones. The Stones have a combined weight of 332.49kg / 733lbs. The larger of the 2 stones weighs 188.02kg / 414.5lbs whilst the smaller stone weighs in at 144.47kgs / 318.5lb.
The Dinnie Stones :
Sadly, although the book started off innocuously enough, it deteriorated as it went on. The first problem is its title. It should have been called something along the lines of: "A Feminist Memoir of Muscle; Stories From My Life."
She also has this habit of talking about people by saying "bodies" ad nauseum. "Bodies" that lift. "Inhabiting bodies that..." "occupying space as a body that..." and so on. Rinse and repeat. Over and over. And over again. And again. This was benign at first, then progressed to thoroughly irritate the shit out of me as the book went on.
Tsui starts by talking about women and weightlifting. She focuses on women being "kept out" of strength training by men. Women as the "poor victims" of men. There is a lot of leftist ideological jargon peppered liberally throughout the book - although she did somewhat dial it back for the last ~half of the book (thankfully). She uses derogatory language to talk about men here often. I found myself scratching my head numerous times. What is the purpose of this? There were lots of misandrist feminist rantings, as well as rants about the "evil white man." I wonder if she would think rantings about women and minorities would be appropriate in a book? Something tells me no.
The rantings about the evil white man ramped up when she included a chapter about a Native Indian man. She dials up the victimology when talking about him. She falsely states that the bodies of ~200+ children had been discovered in Canadian residential schools in 2021. This is not true. No bodies have been found. What happened is that researchers found "soil disturbances" in the ground using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). What are these soil disturbances? Inconclusive. FWIW, the areas scanned were church grounds and known grave sites. Many of the original wood crosses that marked older graves have now decomposed. The entire affair was a SNAFU that Canadians lost their minds over, but turned out to be a huge media lie, with virtually no aspect of the story being remotely true. Why this writing was included here is a mystery, as it is arguably not germane to the book at all.
More generally, the book lacks a central thesis and a narrative end goal. It doesn't know what it wants to be. It's not really a science book, and it's not a strength training guide. It is roughly 1 part memoir, 1 part short story, and 1 part Critical Theory/Feminist take. Although there were interesting tidbits scattered throughout here and there, I didn't find too much real substance or value, unfortunately.
********************
On Muscle did not meet my expectations. I wouldn't recommend it. Remind me to take a hard pass on anything else this author produces.
2 stars.
Unfortunately, I did not particularly enjoy On Muscle. I have been strength training for most of my adult life, and will read just about any book I come across on the topic. From the book's title, I was expecting to read some new research on strength training, or other interesting writing centering around weightlifting, training, and their related science and applications. Although there was some of that, it somewhat took a backseat to other writing. The finished product fell short of my expectations. More below.
Author Bonnie Tsui is an American writer and journalist of Hong Kong descent. She was born in New York, New York, graduated from Harvard University, and currently lives in Berkeley, California.
Bonnie Tsui:
She writes with a fairly decent style here, and this one shouldn't struggle to hold the reader's attention. She drops the quote at the start of this review, and it continues:
"...The biologist and biomechanics pioneer Steven Vogel wrote that “muscle has been our sole engine for most of our time on earth.” He pointed out that whether it’s the tiniest flea or the largest whale, what moves and propels creatures great and small is, well, “the same stuff.” Evidence of animals first flexing their muscles dates back 560 million years, to a recently discovered fossil of a cnidarian, an animal phylum that includes modern jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones. It has bundles of muscle fibers arranged in radial symmetry.
When we talk about what moves us as human beings—if you really want to get down to the heart of things, the meat of it, figuratively—it’s muscle, literally. Strongest and biggest muscles? In your heart and your jaw, and in your butt. (We’ll talk more about that later.) Smallest and weirdest?
In your ear is the stapedius, just one millimeter long, controlling the vibrations of the stapes, a.k.a. the stirrup, the smallest bone in the body. And perhaps there are muscles you’ve never heard of, teeny ones in funny places —like the arrector pili, the little muscle fibers that give you goose bumps. Maybe you have them now, just picturing them."
In this short quote she talks about the aim of the book:
"This book is an invitation to explore the many ways that muscle is the vivid engine of our lives. Note that this is not an anatomy textbook; nor is it a guide to working out. What you will find, though, are stories about the stuff that moves us and why it matters.
When I reflect on why I wanted to write a book about muscle, I realize that a lot of it has to do with a longing for my dad. I found myself wanting to write about things I can talk to him about. To go deeper into the muscle inquiry and pull him back into my orbit. To recover some sense of that closeness we once had."
The author talks quite a bit here about Jan Todd, an early trailblazing female powerlifter, who held many strength records. She mentions a funny clip of her on the Johnny Carson Show, where he tries to deadlift 415lbs. She also talks about Todd's incredible record-setting lifting of the famous Scottish Dinnie Stones. The Stones have a combined weight of 332.49kg / 733lbs. The larger of the 2 stones weighs 188.02kg / 414.5lbs whilst the smaller stone weighs in at 144.47kgs / 318.5lb.
The Dinnie Stones :
Sadly, although the book started off innocuously enough, it deteriorated as it went on. The first problem is its title. It should have been called something along the lines of: "A Feminist Memoir of Muscle; Stories From My Life."
She also has this habit of talking about people by saying "bodies" ad nauseum. "Bodies" that lift. "Inhabiting bodies that..." "occupying space as a body that..." and so on. Rinse and repeat. Over and over. And over again. And again. This was benign at first, then progressed to thoroughly irritate the shit out of me as the book went on.
Tsui starts by talking about women and weightlifting. She focuses on women being "kept out" of strength training by men. Women as the "poor victims" of men. There is a lot of leftist ideological jargon peppered liberally throughout the book - although she did somewhat dial it back for the last ~half of the book (thankfully). She uses derogatory language to talk about men here often. I found myself scratching my head numerous times. What is the purpose of this? There were lots of misandrist feminist rantings, as well as rants about the "evil white man." I wonder if she would think rantings about women and minorities would be appropriate in a book? Something tells me no.
The rantings about the evil white man ramped up when she included a chapter about a Native Indian man. She dials up the victimology when talking about him. She falsely states that the bodies of ~200+ children had been discovered in Canadian residential schools in 2021. This is not true. No bodies have been found. What happened is that researchers found "soil disturbances" in the ground using ground-penetrating radar (GPR). What are these soil disturbances? Inconclusive. FWIW, the areas scanned were church grounds and known grave sites. Many of the original wood crosses that marked older graves have now decomposed. The entire affair was a SNAFU that Canadians lost their minds over, but turned out to be a huge media lie, with virtually no aspect of the story being remotely true. Why this writing was included here is a mystery, as it is arguably not germane to the book at all.
More generally, the book lacks a central thesis and a narrative end goal. It doesn't know what it wants to be. It's not really a science book, and it's not a strength training guide. It is roughly 1 part memoir, 1 part short story, and 1 part Critical Theory/Feminist take. Although there were interesting tidbits scattered throughout here and there, I didn't find too much real substance or value, unfortunately.
********************
On Muscle did not meet my expectations. I wouldn't recommend it. Remind me to take a hard pass on anything else this author produces.
2 stars.
December 27, 2025
A very readable, accessible work by Bonnie Tsui on the muscles of the human body. She weaves in her life story, and so
On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters
becomes as much a memoir as it is a discussion of these key parts of our bodies. This reader is not a sporty type, but she kept me interested and convinced me that it was as relevant to me as it would be to those who consider themselves in that category.
I learned a lot, and having read to the very end am inspired to pay more attention to and appreciate more the contributions my muscles make to my everyday life and living. Thank you, Bonnie Tsui!
*A sincere thank you to Bonnie Tsui, Algonquin Books, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #OnMuscle #NetGalley 25|52:52i
I learned a lot, and having read to the very end am inspired to pay more attention to and appreciate more the contributions my muscles make to my everyday life and living. Thank you, Bonnie Tsui!
*A sincere thank you to Bonnie Tsui, Algonquin Books, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #OnMuscle #NetGalley 25|52:52i
April 22, 2025
I enjoyed this meditation on muscles - what they mean for us, the people we love, and for society as a whole.
I am not a muscly or sporty person, and I've long had a complicated relationship with my body and exercise, but I was drawn to this audiobook from the lovely art in the cover, and convinced to listen to it by the recommendation on it from Ed Yong, whose books I have loved.
Bonnie Tsui is a great narrator, and her passion for the stories she is telling really comes through. The diversity of perspectives keeps you listening for more, even as some sections don't seem to flow together perfectly.
I would have liked a bit more muscle science, but it became more philosophical and with touches of memoir that I didn't really expect from the blurb. All in all, pleasantly different from what I thought it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advance audio copy of this book.
I am not a muscly or sporty person, and I've long had a complicated relationship with my body and exercise, but I was drawn to this audiobook from the lovely art in the cover, and convinced to listen to it by the recommendation on it from Ed Yong, whose books I have loved.
Bonnie Tsui is a great narrator, and her passion for the stories she is telling really comes through. The diversity of perspectives keeps you listening for more, even as some sections don't seem to flow together perfectly.
I would have liked a bit more muscle science, but it became more philosophical and with touches of memoir that I didn't really expect from the blurb. All in all, pleasantly different from what I thought it would be.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an advance audio copy of this book.
April 26, 2025
Part memoir, part science, part culture book, mostly memoir. This is the first of two memoirs that I have been "tricked" into reading. I don't mind reading memoirs but only if that was what I wanted to do. I really wanted more of a science book. It wasn't bad, just not what I wanted to begin with.
Some good thoughts about muscle and its impact on women in particular.
Some good thoughts about muscle and its impact on women in particular.
January 1, 2026
One final read for 2025! I liked the thoughtful nature of this book. Got a bit more out of it than Stronger: The Untold Story of Muscle in Our Lives, though there was quite a bit of overlap between the two.
March 29, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and algonquin books for the egalley of this title.
The premise based on the title, cover,and subtitle is a but misleading as this seems more like a set of essays. The writing is beautiful, but the text isn't sure what it wants to be and struggles for continuity. Some books pull of the combo of memoir/narrative nonfiction/science, but unfortunately, this one struggled to find a focus.
Her research and writing skills can't be denied- they are great it just felt like they book found different pathes very easily in each chapter.
The premise based on the title, cover,and subtitle is a but misleading as this seems more like a set of essays. The writing is beautiful, but the text isn't sure what it wants to be and struggles for continuity. Some books pull of the combo of memoir/narrative nonfiction/science, but unfortunately, this one struggled to find a focus.
Her research and writing skills can't be denied- they are great it just felt like they book found different pathes very easily in each chapter.
March 30, 2025
Such a great book that has a perfect balance of science, emotions, and memoir to discuss muscles! Loved it!!
April 29, 2025
With an intriguing blend of deep research, memoir-like passages, and expert interviews/anecdotes/quotes, all around a topic most of us don't often think about, this book definitely made an impact. Tsui covers the body from head to toe, inside (muscle science) to outside (societal expectations), physical to spiritual, and still manages to make it fun to read/listen to.
As someone who came to long distance running in mid-life, and only then really focused on my body and what it could do, I appreciated the multiple perspectives from which muscles are explored. From body building to surfing, yoga to running, and even what muscles mean for someone who is paralyzed, she casts a wide net. The author's personal experiences, as well as those of multiple people she interviewed, really enhanced my appreciation and ability to soak up the knowledge she shares.
I listened to this on audio, but will likely get a physical book because I feel the need to re-read and highlight so many of the passages and specific information.
Please note: I received an advanced listening copy from NetGalley & Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.
As someone who came to long distance running in mid-life, and only then really focused on my body and what it could do, I appreciated the multiple perspectives from which muscles are explored. From body building to surfing, yoga to running, and even what muscles mean for someone who is paralyzed, she casts a wide net. The author's personal experiences, as well as those of multiple people she interviewed, really enhanced my appreciation and ability to soak up the knowledge she shares.
I listened to this on audio, but will likely get a physical book because I feel the need to re-read and highlight so many of the passages and specific information.
Please note: I received an advanced listening copy from NetGalley & Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.
March 10, 2025
4.5 ⭐ rounded down
First, thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the eARC of this book!!
I LOVED reading this one! I thought it was educational both on a high level of just understanding better how muscles allow our body to function and deeper with the ways in which they move us; it was also incredibly interesting to see how she tied it in with anthropology and the ways muscles and bodies are seen in differing cultures and people groups. I did competitive powerlifting for a big portion of my adolescence and the first part of the book, focusing on Jan Todd, was my favorite. Reading Jan's story was great! I'd read anything she's involved in hahaha! All of this was especially intriguing to me as an athlete and historian. 🤪
I'd recommend this read to really anyone with any interest in the human body--the literal physical version, the idealized version that varies based upon who and where you are on the globe, and how muscles impact our understanding of both bodies and the world around them. This will be a wonderful addition to any library!
First, thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the eARC of this book!!
I LOVED reading this one! I thought it was educational both on a high level of just understanding better how muscles allow our body to function and deeper with the ways in which they move us; it was also incredibly interesting to see how she tied it in with anthropology and the ways muscles and bodies are seen in differing cultures and people groups. I did competitive powerlifting for a big portion of my adolescence and the first part of the book, focusing on Jan Todd, was my favorite. Reading Jan's story was great! I'd read anything she's involved in hahaha! All of this was especially intriguing to me as an athlete and historian. 🤪
I'd recommend this read to really anyone with any interest in the human body--the literal physical version, the idealized version that varies based upon who and where you are on the globe, and how muscles impact our understanding of both bodies and the world around them. This will be a wonderful addition to any library!
May 28, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. The subject matter—the science, the stories, the relationship with her father—had so much potential, and I found the author herself compelling. But I ended up feeling a bit teased. Each thread offered something interesting, but just as it started to draw me in, it moved on.
It felt like the book was trying to do too much at once, and in the end, didn’t fully decide what it wanted to be.
That said, there were still moments I connected with, and I shed a tear at the end.
It felt like the book was trying to do too much at once, and in the end, didn’t fully decide what it wanted to be.
That said, there were still moments I connected with, and I shed a tear at the end.
June 25, 2025
This was interesting enough. I love learning about the human body and exercise. Narration kinda bored me. Felt like it needed an edit as well
September 4, 2025
aaaah idk didn't catch my attention as much as I expected
July 22, 2025
A mix of personal experience and interviews with researchers / muscle experts. It was good that the chapters were short because it kept inspiring me to get up and move!
June 8, 2025
Having been stuck in a little exercise rut, I saw this book and thought it would be an interesting read to get me back to the gym. While I must admit, I also picked it to get the “Heritage Reads” bookmark in the reading challenges, I was intrigued by the title and the notion of learning about the muscles of the body. What I did not expect was to be entertained and moved by anecdotal stories about the power of movement.
The book gave me similar vibes to Amy Tan and her stories of growing up ABC. I loved how the authors childhood stories of time spent with her father, cultivating her love of both exercise and art were woven seamlessly between the pages, not all unlike muscles are woven between bone and tendon. The chapters covered everything from anatomy to purpose to spirituality. I was pleasantly surprised, not only by how much I learned, but also by how much I cared and was inspired.
I am definitely taking a lot of great information from this book, both academic and of the heart. I find myself reinvigorated and motivated to get back out into the world. Whether by walking, swimming, or even just plain jumping, I plan on giving my muscles the love (and workout) they deserve.
The book gave me similar vibes to Amy Tan and her stories of growing up ABC. I loved how the authors childhood stories of time spent with her father, cultivating her love of both exercise and art were woven seamlessly between the pages, not all unlike muscles are woven between bone and tendon. The chapters covered everything from anatomy to purpose to spirituality. I was pleasantly surprised, not only by how much I learned, but also by how much I cared and was inspired.
I am definitely taking a lot of great information from this book, both academic and of the heart. I find myself reinvigorated and motivated to get back out into the world. Whether by walking, swimming, or even just plain jumping, I plan on giving my muscles the love (and workout) they deserve.
July 9, 2025
This was on a NY times list and the library had it available.
I was curious, so I tuned into the audiobook.
The author starts with a sweet story about how her father modeled activity and strength for the author and her brother since they were younger. Strong opening.... she then goes into some historic body builders and surprising feats of strength, still interesting, then maybe half way into the book, I lost my interest, it was starting to drag and feel very away from muscles and more into the author's thoughts/emotions about their estranged father.
What started as a book on the sociological perspective on muscles with some personal details, transitioned to the writer working through her issues of abandonment from her dad. I felt like the thread was lost, and it was hard to get back.
I learned some new things. I was somewhat entertained. Not sure i am a better person.
I was curious, so I tuned into the audiobook.
The author starts with a sweet story about how her father modeled activity and strength for the author and her brother since they were younger. Strong opening.... she then goes into some historic body builders and surprising feats of strength, still interesting, then maybe half way into the book, I lost my interest, it was starting to drag and feel very away from muscles and more into the author's thoughts/emotions about their estranged father.
What started as a book on the sociological perspective on muscles with some personal details, transitioned to the writer working through her issues of abandonment from her dad. I felt like the thread was lost, and it was hard to get back.
I learned some new things. I was somewhat entertained. Not sure i am a better person.
June 22, 2025
I did not expect to cry as much and as hard as I did throughout a book about muscles, but Bonnie has a way with words and sentimentality, weaving the beauty of life's most wonderful, simple things into every story. Bonnie, I feel lucky to call you a friend. You've outdone yourself.
November 17, 2025
Everyone had been asked to make a muscle at some point, to demonstrate a whole host of things, tangible and intangible: strength, flexibility, endurance. Show me you’re in good form; show me you’re a person of action. Character that’s grounded in something you can feel. It’s a way to assert presence. To say: We are her — conscious, corporeal, alive.
Weightlifting has also been shown to build resilience in the mind. New research with populations recovering from post-traumatic stress illustrates how lifting weights helps people feel more at ease and in control of their bodies. If you can improve your physical strength in a solid, visible way, it can reframe your self-perception: Look what I did! This is evidence that I’m different now. You can see yourself as a person with agency.
To know one’s own strength: I’ve come to understand the meaning of these words not as a binary statement, an “I do” or an “I don’t,” but as an ongoing process of discovery. Muscles matter — they allow us, in an observable way, to see what we can do. Though you may not initially know what you’re capable of, you have vast reservoirs of potential, waiting to be tapped. For just the right moment to be revealed.
Every push-up was a note to yourself — that you were capable of more than you were the day before. These days, when so much of life feels out of control, something that concrete and tangible, however incremental, feels like a small victory.
Lately, I’ve come to understand that what I learned from my father was not just to lift heavy things, but to lift myself.
A muscle, once it is free from life’s electricity, is suddenly limp, at a loss. Then it grows recalcitrant. It stiffens, held in a state of contraction called rigor mortis.
Play is where you have the essential pleasure of feeling at home in your body. And why should you give it up just because you’re a grown-up?
In quiet desperation, I find any way I can to move, to find joy in movement, to feel situated in my days. Exercise, then, is a way to grapple with existence, to act. The daily practice of movement is something that helps us to develop presence.
The body speaks the language of action. There are no words to adequately describe the movements, because the movements are the language. They are the communication between one body and another. The physicality is the point. You and me, in this space, together. The movement created the memory. It is a way to be together.
We talk about how it was also like the tracing of a scar. At the time of injury, the pain is sharp, acutely, consuming. You can’t imagine it ever getting better. Over time, the experience dulls to an ache. It becomes a memory, of something that can be healing and hopeful.
“I’m trying not to put the lid back on the emotion box when I start to feel.”
“We’re running, and I’m feeling so much that I have goose bumps.” I tell her what I’d learned about goose bumps: that we have tiny muscles tied around bouquets of follicles; that they are the muscles of cold, fear, and awe; that maybe her body was allowing her to feel things again. That sometimes the body knows more than we consciously comprehend.
You can’t change the past. But the desire to take this experience and look forward with kindness is strong. There is a lot of beauty and joy here, despite the fact that all our bodies are hurting. Through that effort, we come to a new understanding of each other.
When I emerge from a long surf, run, or swim, the tiredness in my muscles tells me that I’ve done something worthwhile. The state of aching is not always a bad one; in this case, the residual burn is a symptom of what it means to really live a life of the body. The restless vibration of my spine has quieted; my body is relaxed, and so is my mind.
Weightlifting has also been shown to build resilience in the mind. New research with populations recovering from post-traumatic stress illustrates how lifting weights helps people feel more at ease and in control of their bodies. If you can improve your physical strength in a solid, visible way, it can reframe your self-perception: Look what I did! This is evidence that I’m different now. You can see yourself as a person with agency.
To know one’s own strength: I’ve come to understand the meaning of these words not as a binary statement, an “I do” or an “I don’t,” but as an ongoing process of discovery. Muscles matter — they allow us, in an observable way, to see what we can do. Though you may not initially know what you’re capable of, you have vast reservoirs of potential, waiting to be tapped. For just the right moment to be revealed.
Every push-up was a note to yourself — that you were capable of more than you were the day before. These days, when so much of life feels out of control, something that concrete and tangible, however incremental, feels like a small victory.
Lately, I’ve come to understand that what I learned from my father was not just to lift heavy things, but to lift myself.
A muscle, once it is free from life’s electricity, is suddenly limp, at a loss. Then it grows recalcitrant. It stiffens, held in a state of contraction called rigor mortis.
Play is where you have the essential pleasure of feeling at home in your body. And why should you give it up just because you’re a grown-up?
In quiet desperation, I find any way I can to move, to find joy in movement, to feel situated in my days. Exercise, then, is a way to grapple with existence, to act. The daily practice of movement is something that helps us to develop presence.
The body speaks the language of action. There are no words to adequately describe the movements, because the movements are the language. They are the communication between one body and another. The physicality is the point. You and me, in this space, together. The movement created the memory. It is a way to be together.
We talk about how it was also like the tracing of a scar. At the time of injury, the pain is sharp, acutely, consuming. You can’t imagine it ever getting better. Over time, the experience dulls to an ache. It becomes a memory, of something that can be healing and hopeful.
“I’m trying not to put the lid back on the emotion box when I start to feel.”
“We’re running, and I’m feeling so much that I have goose bumps.” I tell her what I’d learned about goose bumps: that we have tiny muscles tied around bouquets of follicles; that they are the muscles of cold, fear, and awe; that maybe her body was allowing her to feel things again. That sometimes the body knows more than we consciously comprehend.
You can’t change the past. But the desire to take this experience and look forward with kindness is strong. There is a lot of beauty and joy here, despite the fact that all our bodies are hurting. Through that effort, we come to a new understanding of each other.
When I emerge from a long surf, run, or swim, the tiredness in my muscles tells me that I’ve done something worthwhile. The state of aching is not always a bad one; in this case, the residual burn is a symptom of what it means to really live a life of the body. The restless vibration of my spine has quieted; my body is relaxed, and so is my mind.
December 31, 2025
I thought this one was going to be more of a pop science medical book, and it had aspects of that (some interesting tidbits about muscles and how they work, etc), but it was more memoir than anything else. The author grew up a father who was really in to keeping fit and that rubbed off on his children and she talks a lot about this and about her father in general. Plus some side quests to highlight people who are doing interesting things in movement (paralyzed yoga, for example). So in general, I thought this one was pretty good but it’s consistent split focus and musing on the nature of movement (which, I guess, is what it was meant to be based on the subtitle) prevented this one from being higher stars for me, even being in a genre that I consistently score highly (pop science books about medical issues).
April 22, 2025
As a person who's been struggling with my sense of my body and its capabilities since my youth, with a concrete diagnosis of the source of my disabilities only in my late 30s, this book was fascinating.
Tsui manages to connect the personal, the scientific, the philosophical, and the physical in illuminating ways. I've been treating myself with yoga for over a decade, so the chapters on the use of yoga were especially intriguing for me, but some of the most inspiring chapters discussed things that I hope never to experience, like extreme distance running.
While listening is my preferred method for nonfiction in general, I will likely acquire a print copy of this book because I want to go back and look at specific portions more closely and apply them as I grow in my own muscle-practice (even if this absolutely isn't a guidebook).
ARC provided by NetGalley.
Tsui manages to connect the personal, the scientific, the philosophical, and the physical in illuminating ways. I've been treating myself with yoga for over a decade, so the chapters on the use of yoga were especially intriguing for me, but some of the most inspiring chapters discussed things that I hope never to experience, like extreme distance running.
While listening is my preferred method for nonfiction in general, I will likely acquire a print copy of this book because I want to go back and look at specific portions more closely and apply them as I grow in my own muscle-practice (even if this absolutely isn't a guidebook).
ARC provided by NetGalley.
April 24, 2025
You're using your eyes to read this, as well as everything you do. On Muscles is a smart, funny, eloquent exploration of what it means to move. Deeply researched, and peppered with poets and artists and Tsui's personal experience, this book covers topics from body building and lifting, to long distance running, yoga and is a fun read. I have recommended it a TON already. Loved it.
June 10, 2025
Strength 💪
This is a great explanation of muscle, movement, and strength that can speak to anyone... novice or scientist. I also appreciated the incorporation of the importance of movement and building strength for our emotional and cognitive health as well as our physical health. Even at 60, I am motivated to become stronger. Thank you for the inspiration.
This is a great explanation of muscle, movement, and strength that can speak to anyone... novice or scientist. I also appreciated the incorporation of the importance of movement and building strength for our emotional and cognitive health as well as our physical health. Even at 60, I am motivated to become stronger. Thank you for the inspiration.
April 21, 2025
I really loved the way this book wove together science and memoir. I found the vignettes in each chapter to be fascinating and caused me to do multiple deep dives (my favorite part of reading non-fiction!)
Thank you to Libro.fm for my copy.
Thank you to Libro.fm for my copy.
August 18, 2025
I like this woman's books. Swimming, surfing, yoga have had their times for me, weightlifting has been a constant, surely that explains part of the appeal. But what really sold me on her was learning that she too is a repeat offender at Surf Simply.
December 26, 2025
A nice documentary style book about what makes movement important. I didn’t really learn anything, but it was full of good reminders.
November 23, 2025
great short read about what moves us and why. It has interesting factual inquiries wrapped in several human stories
July 7, 2025
Interesting balance between personal stories and scientific studies about your muscles.
November 23, 2025
Super enjoyed this. Quirky stories, lots of great science. I have retained almost nothing, but I read it for fun, so that’s okay.
Lift weights! Or something in that realm! It’ll help you not die early!
(I read this off and on all summer and fall...so my memories of it are a bit disjointed.)
Lift weights! Or something in that realm! It’ll help you not die early!
(I read this off and on all summer and fall...so my memories of it are a bit disjointed.)
May 19, 2025
Unlike how its title and subtitle presentation, the book is more of collection of stories that are arbitrarily structured. In this sense, the book lacks a clear representation of a thesis and/or specific conclusions/messages.
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