Muscle Bound Bindery was founded in 1967 by Harry Lerner as the hardcover book binding arm of Lerner Publishing. Under the guidance of president Jerry Hanson, it didn’t take long for Muscle Bound to earn a reputation among school publishers and libraries for their superior bindings. The buzz began when Muscle Bound started placing a colophon of a clenched fist raised over an open book on their books’ back covers. The colophon was encircled by the phrase “Muscle Bound for Long Wear”. The Muscle Bound logo has become widely recognized among publishers and librarians as a reassuring symbol that their books are bound with the strength to survive these environments.

In 1983, the company moved operations to a 45,000 square-foot facility just west of downtown Minneapolis. Along with the move came some new equipment, including a Muller Martini perfect binder and a Kolbus case binding line. For the next several years, Muscle Bound Bindery enjoyed a steady pace of growth as the company honed their quality and efficiency. In 1989, Muscle Bound became the second company in the U.S. to license the Otabind method. To handle the addition of an Otabind-equipped binding line, Muscle Bound expanded its facility to 70,000 square feet.

Under the leadership of president Gary Hansen, Muscle Bound continues to expand its capabilities for hardcover and softcover binding. The company's five dedicated binding lines can perform an array of binding styles - including Otabind, PUR (polyurethane reactive) adhesive binding, standard perfect binding, side-sewn case binding and thread sealing - with long- and short-run production flexibility few other binderies can match.