Skip to content
Apply Now

35 episodes

How to Get Toned

What 'toned' actually means (muscle plus lower body fat) and how to get there instead of just losing weight.

From Nikkiey Stott and the WarriorBabe coaching team · Updated Oct 25, 2026

You have lost weight, maybe more than once, and the mirror still shows a softer, smaller version of the same body. Or you take classes five days a week, use the light dumbbells, watch every calorie, and nothing changes shape. If that sounds familiar, the problem is not your effort. It is the definition of toned you were handed.

New to this? Follow the listening pathToned, not just smaller6 episodes in the order to hear them

Start with these

The full guide

On The WarriorBabe Show, Nikkiey Stott keeps coming back to one idea: toned is not a training style or a number on the scale. It is two things working together, developed muscle and body fat low enough for that muscle to show. As she puts it in How to Get Toned After 40 Without Losing More Weight, fat loss reveals muscle, but it cannot create it. Chase weight loss alone, through aggressive dieting and lots of cardio, and you lose muscle along with fat. That is how women end up what Nikkiey calls a skinnier, fatter version of themselves, something she did herself early on. She started around 140 pounds and skinny fat, and today she weighs more and looks leaner than ever.

The episodes lay out what actually builds the toned look. Lift three to four days a week with real, challenging load and progressive overload, using compound lifts as the foundation. Eat enough, with protein at roughly 0.8 to 1 gram per pound of body weight, and pay attention to macros, not just calories, because calories control your size while macros control your shape. If you are losing fat, keep the deficit moderate rather than surviving on 1,100 calories. Prioritize sleep and recovery, since that is when muscle is repaired. Pilates, group classes and cardio can stay in your week, but Nikkiey wants them filling in around strength training rather than replacing it.

This approach also changes how you measure progress. Muscle is denser than fat, so the scale may barely move, or even go up, while your waist gets smaller. Nikkiey asks you to track progress photos, measurements, how your clothes fit and your strength numbers, and to treat the scale as supporting data. She is also honest about timing: in How to Get Lean After 40, she suggests giving it six to twelve months, and in How Long Does It Take Women to Build Visible Muscle she talks about six months to two years depending on where you start.

If you are new to this, start with How to Get Toned After 40 Without Getting Bulky for the full picture, then How to Get Lean After 40: What Actually Works for Women for the version built for your hormonal stage. If you are already lifting and stuck, go to Why Am I Lifting Weights But Not Seeing Muscle? If food is the missing piece, Macros vs Calories: Which Is Better for Fat Loss? explains why what you eat shapes how you look. And when the scale starts messing with your head, Why Isn't the Scale Moving When I Eat Well and Lift? will help you read it correctly. For real-life proof, listen to Karen in How to Get Toned in Your 40s by Eating More Food.

What women ask

Ask Nikkiey →

  • 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.

    Read the answer →

  • 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.

    Read the answer →

  • How to Get Toned

    Why don't I look toned after losing weight?

    Because toned comes from muscle, not from weight loss. Nikkiey explains that the firm, defined look is enough muscle sitting under a reduced layer of body fat. If you cut calories without enough protein or strength training, you lose muscle along with fat and end up a smaller, softer version of the same shape.

    Read the answer →

  • How to Get Toned

    Why doesn't cardio make me look toned?

    Cardio doesn't build muscle, and looking toned means showing muscle. Nikkiey explains that cardio can help with fat loss, but fat loss without muscle building just gives you a smaller version of the same body, often called skinny fat. Toned comes from strength training with progressive overload, enough food, and less cardio.

    Read the answer →

  • 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.

    Read the answer →

Every How to Get Toned episode

Common questions

What does toned actually mean?

Nikkiey Stott explains that toned is muscle plus body fat low enough for that muscle to show. You can't tone a muscle you haven't built, which is why weight loss alone often leaves women smaller but still soft.

Will lifting heavy weights make me bulky?

According to the show, getting bulky takes heavy weights, high training volume and a significant calorie surplus, and women have naturally lower testosterone than men. Nikkiey calls accidental bulk a myth for women training naturally, and points to her own 11 years of intentional training.

Can Pilates, cardio or group classes get me toned?

Nikkiey sees real value in these classes, but says spring resistance, body weight work and cardio don't create enough tension to build significant muscle. She recommends keeping roughly 80% of your training as progressive strength work and letting classes fill the rest.

How much protein do I need to get toned?

The episodes generally use a starting point of about 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, or goal body weight if you have a lot to lose. Nikkiey suggests spreading it across four to six meals of about 25 to 30 grams and building meals around complete proteins.

Why isn't the scale moving even though I'm lifting and eating well?

Nikkiey explains that muscle is denser than fat, so you can get smaller and leaner at the same weight, and hard workouts and carbs can cause temporary water retention. She recommends judging progress by photos, measurements, strength and how your clothes fit.

How long does it take to look toned?

In How to Get Lean After 40, Nikkiey suggests a timeline of six to twelve months. In her episode on visible muscle, she says the payoff may take six months, eight months or two years depending on where you start, with consistency mattering more than perfection.

Related topics