Muscle firmness

TONE

Think of how a well-conditioned athlete’s body feels—neither flabby nor overly rigid, but balanced and responsive. This word also describes the quality of sound in speech or music.

"Muscle firmness" is a straightforward definition clue pointing to "tone," which refers to the state of partial contraction in muscles that keeps them firm and ready for action. The word is commonly used in fitness and physiology to describe muscle tightness or resilience. There’s no wordplay here—it’s a direct match between the clue’s meaning and the answer. Think of how someone might say, "I need to improve my muscle tone," and you’ve got it.