For more than a century, weightlifting was one of the last Olympic sports closed to women - but they refused to stay out.

Heavy Metal tells the gripping true story of how women fought their way into elite strength sport, transforming garages, basements and local gyms into training grounds for a global movement. From circus strongwomen and mid-century fitness pioneers to the athletes and organisers who staged the first competitions, this is a story of persistence against medical warnings, cultural stigma and institutional resistance.
Drawing on rare archives and first-hand interviews, Conor Heffernan reveals how grassroots activism forced the International Weightlifting Federation and the International Olympic Committee to finally recognise women's lifting. Along the way, the book explores bigger questions about gender, power and the body - from Cold War politics and doping scandals to debates about femininity and fairness that still resonate today.
Fast-paced, surprising and deeply human, Heavy Metal is essential reading for anyone interested in the hidden histories of sport and the women who changed it forever.