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Do I need to work out more to make my abs show?
Answered by Nikkiey Stott and her guests · Updated
The short answer
No. On Ep. 96, Nikkiey explains that you don't need more work in your workouts to make your abs show. You need to dial in consistency with your nutrition, because you can't outwork a bad diet in the gym. More training only gets you so far and tends to end in burnout.
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Nikkiey on why visible abs come from nutrition consistency, not more workouts
Plays from 9:25 · Ep. 96: How to Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds and Get More Defined
Why you can't outwork a bad diet, and what next-level consistency means
Plays from 7:57 · Ep. 96: How to Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds and Get More Defined
The difference between 70% and 95% consistency with your macros
Plays from 18:59 · Ep. 96: How to Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds and Get More Defined
Who this advice is for: women with the last 5 to 10 pounds to lose
Plays from 19:31 · Ep. 96: How to Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds and Get More Defined
The full answer
Nikkiey is blunt about this on Ep. 96: adding more workouts is not the lever for showing your abs or getting more defined. Trying to train your way past your diet only gets you so far, and she says you'll feel burnt out and crash. If your abs aren't showing, it isn't that you aren't working hard enough. The plan needs to shift its focus to your nutrition.
What she asks for is precision and consistency with your macros. She and the WarriorBabe coaches want you to hit every macro precisely and consistently. She puts it in numbers: showing up 70% of the time gets you roughly 70% of the results, while dialing up to about 95% gets you closer to 95% of what you want to see. She calls this goal one that requires next-level dedication. Not many people do it, but those who do reap big rewards. She points to Cheryl Beaver, a 60-year-old client whose body composition shows what consistency can do at any age.
Nikkiey also says your daily actions need to line up with the goal, not just your intentions:
- Throw out the food in your house you know is getting in the way.
- Stop hitting snooze if it's costing you your workout.
- Go to bed earlier instead of watching Netflix late, so you sleep better and have more energy to train.
She notes this advice is aimed at women who have about 5 to 10 pounds left to lose and want to be more defined. If you have more weight to lose, your focus may look different. For that last stretch, it comes down to paying a little more attention to your nutrition than you are right now.
From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
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How to Get Toned
Why am I lifting weights but not seeing muscle definition?
Usually one piece of the plan is out of alignment, not your effort. Nikkiey explains that visible muscle needs four things working together: enough tension on the muscle, enough calories and protein, real recovery, and progressive overload. She adds that lifting is the easy part for most women. Keeping nutrition and macros consistent is where definition usually stalls.
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How to Get Toned
What does toned actually mean?
Toned means you have developed, defined muscle and body fat low enough for that muscle to show. Nikkiey explains it isn't a scientific term but a marketing one. Physically it is just muscle plus leanness, so getting there takes strength training to build muscle and nutrition that lowers body fat, not chasing a lower number on the scale.
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How to Get Toned
Can you weigh more and look leaner?
Yes. Nikkiey started her journey at 140 pounds and skinny fat, and now weighs 145 to 150 pounds with a smaller waist, visible abs and stronger legs. Muscle is denser than fat and takes up far less space, so building it while losing fat can make you leaner even as the scale holds steady or rises.
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21 minHow to Lose the Last 5-10 Pounds and Get More Defined
Episode 96 · Sep 29, 2023