The short answer
Not on its own, according to the women on The WarriorBabe Show. On Ep. 242, Linda explains that barre breaks muscle down and you need enough protein to build it back. On Ep. 312, Melissa did Pure Barre for three years without her body changing; weight training and eating more with a coach did it.
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Linda on why barre class breaks muscle down and protein builds it back
Plays from 16:41 · Ep. 242: Lost 18 Pounds at 63 by Tracking Macros, Not Calories
Melissa on three years of Pure Barre and walking without seeing change
Plays from 4:55 · Ep. 312: Not Losing Weight With Barre and Walking After 50?
Linda on keeping barre for variety alongside three strength workouts a week
Plays from 26:40 · Ep. 242: Lost 18 Pounds at 63 by Tracking Macros, Not Calories
Melissa on the doubts she quieted before committing to weight training
Plays from 7:42 · Ep. 312: Not Losing Weight With Barre and Walking After 50?
The full answer
On Ep. 242, Linda, who lost 18 pounds at 63, describes telling a woman in her barre class that she wasn't building muscle there. In her words, workouts tear muscle down, and you need protein on board to build it back up. Before coaching, her protein was relatively low, and she says she never realized how much a woman in her 60s needs. Linda didn't quit barre. She still goes for the variety and walks a lot, but her plan is built around three strength workouts a week: lower body, upper body and full body.
On Ep. 312, Melissa tells a harder story. She walked to Pure Barre, took class and walked home, about five miles round trip, for three years. Her FAQ notes she was eating roughly 1,200 to 1,500 calories. She was one of the strongest people in the room, and the teacher would tell others to watch her, yet she hated the milestone photos and didn't feel good about how she looked. People kept asking if barre was working. After three years, she knew the answer.
What changed things for Melissa was going back to weight training and eating more with a coach. She admits her biggest obstacle was the noise in her head: she knew concentrated weight training takes at least three days a week, and she doubted she could stick with it.
The takeaway from both episodes:
- Barre can be enjoyable movement and variety, and being good at it doesn't mean it's building the body you want.
- Linda credits protein for rebuilding what workouts break down.
- Both women saw change once structured strength training and enough food were in the plan.
If barre plus walking hasn't moved the needle, that's not a willpower problem. It's the plan.
From Nikkiey Stott and WarriorBabe's coaching. For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.
Women also ask
More questions →
Strength Training for Women
How many days a week should I lift weights?
Three to four days a week is Nikkiey's core recommendation for women over 40: 30 to 45 minutes per session, built on compound lifts and progressive overload, with walking on off days and seven to eight hours of sleep. Lifting six or seven days a week, she says, breaks down muscle faster than you can rebuild it.
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Strength Training for Women
Are classes like F45 or Orangetheory enough to build muscle?
Not on their own. Nikkiey explains that F45, Orangetheory and CrossFit include strength work but don't prioritize muscle growth the way a progressive overload program does, because everyone in the room does the same workout. Keep the classes if you love them, but make them about 20% of your training and progressive lifting the other 80%.
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Strength Training for Women
How do I get over gym anxiety?
Start by remembering that almost nobody is watching you. Nikkiey says most of the judgment lives in your own head. Then make it easier on yourself: learn the exercises on YouTube before you go, wear a hat as blinders, start small in a quiet corner, and walk into the weight room anyway, even scared.
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Watch or listen in full
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41 minNot Losing Weight With Barre and Walking After 50?
Episode 312 · Nov 17, 2025
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Episode 242 · Mar 17, 2025