Toning Up for Your Boudoir Photo Shoot: A Complete Guide

The biggest mistake most women make when preparing for their photo shoot is thinking they’re going to hit their body goals with a starvation diet and cardio. That’s completely unsustainable and won’t lead to your body goals. Here’s the stuff that actually works:

• Diet – Protein is the key to muscle tone and fat loss. Aim for .8 – 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
• Strength Training – This is what actually shapes your body. Think weight training, Pilates or calisthenics to enhance your curves.
• Mobility – More flexibility = more posing options. Yoga is good here or even just 10 minutes of stretching before bed.
• Sleep – Muscle is only built during deep REM sleep. Get more than 7 hours per night or sacrifice results.

This isn’t about extreme dieting or complicated routines, it’s about consistency. Follow these simple guidelines, you’ll be amazed at how much your body transforms in a year.

• Count Macros, Not Calories – The best place to start with diet is a macro calculator. This will help you establish a daily target for your proteins, carbs, and fats.
• Protein First – Aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight daily. This builds muscle and helps burn fat.
• Fats & Carbs in Moderation – Both are important, but an excess of either will add to your body fat. Additionally, over consumption of carbs or fats instead of protein will lower your muscle mass and increase your fat mass. This is why counting macros is more important than counting calories.
• Avoid Processed Foods and Simple Sugars – Sugary snacks and processed foods will slow your progress and lead to inflammation. Exchange sugar and carbs that don’t have fiber for sources that do. An orange for example has sugar and fiber = good. Orange juice on the other hand doesn’t have fiber = not good.
• Prioritize Fiber – This includes things like fruits, vegetables, rice (with husk) wheat (with husk) nuts, legumes etc. If the carbs you’re eating don’t have meaningful fiber, exchange them for single ingredient foods that do.
• When in Doubt, Think of a Nutrition Label as a Warning Label – Foods without packaging or labels are usually the most nutritious. The core of a healthy diet is typically found at the perimeter of the grocery store.
• If you’re vegan or vegetarian, protein intake will take more planning since plant sources don’t provide complete amino acid profiles. Consider working with a nutritionist to ensure you’re meeting your needs.

Leaning out doesn’t always mean losing weight. Body recomposition is often more effective than weight loss for visual results if you don’t hold more than 30% bodyfat. With recomposition, you can reduce fat while maintaining or even increasing muscle mass. This might keep the scale the same but leave you visibly leaner and more defined.

Tips to Hit Your Protein Target:

• Track your intake for a week to get a feel for how much protein you need.
• Prep protein-rich meals in advance to avoid last-minute, less nutritious choices.
• Animal sources are easiest since all of them have a complete amino acid profile unlike most plant based protein.

If you want to see, visible changes in muscle tone, resistance training is non-negotiable. These five exercises will visually tone your entire body faster then anything else:

• Deadlifts – Firms up your glutes, hamstrings, and abs.
• Barbell Bench Press – Lifts and defines your chest for perkier, fuller-looking breasts.
• Overhead Press – Shapes your shoulders for a toned upper body.
• Pull-Ups/Lat Pull-Downs – Strengthens your back and improves posture.
• Barbell Back Squats – The single best exercise for your legs, butt, and core.

Cardio vs. Strength Training

Cardio improves heart health and can help you achieve a leaner look if you desire. If you have limited time, skip cardio and prioritize strength training.

If you do both, always lift weights first. Visually speaking, cardio is a great way to burn fat and reveal tone, but it’s not a great way to build tone. The muscle you build is what gives you that “toned” look to begin with, and the best way to do that is with any kind of resistance training. I strongly recommend against “cutting” (the practice of lots of cardio and caloric deficit) unless you’ve already been lifting for at least a year consistently.

Mobility training might not be the first thing you think about, but tight hips and stiff shoulders can limit your posing options. Women over 40 especially notice this.

Want to improve your mobility fast? Check out this video on hip mobility and shoulder mobility.

Even just 5-10 minutes of mobility work per day will make a huge difference in how natural and elegant your poses look during your session. For those that thrive in a group environment, yoga classes are also a great way to improve your mobility.

Most people overlook sleep when it comes to toning up, but getting less than 7 hours per night can ruin your progress—even if you’re training hard and eating well. Here’s a few reasons you should stop doom scrolling Instagram at night and get more sleep:

• Muscle Recovery – Your body repairs and builds muscle while you sleep.
• Fat Loss – Lack of sleep disrupts hormones that regulate hunger, making fat loss way harder.
• Skin & Energy – Dark circles and dull skin? That’s sleep deprivation at work.

Think of sleep as the final piece of the puzzle, or like the body’s garbage collection mechanism. Without it you’ll feel like trash and all your effort in the gym and kitchen won’t pay off the way it otherwise could.

If you’re new to strength training, here’s a simple 7 day plan anyone can start today.

• Monday – Upper Body (chest press, push ups, planks, etc.
• Tuesday – Lower Body (Barbell back squats, Bulgarian split squats, bodyweight squats)
• Wednesday – Rest, Mobility, or Cardio
• Thursday – Upper Body (overhead press, lateral raises, pull ups, chest supported row)
• Friday – Lower Body (deadlifts, kettlebell swings, good mornings, leg curls, abductions,)
• Saturday/Sunday – Rest, Mobility, or Cardio

Remember: Rest days are just as important as workout days.