Which one is best?

caloriesnme

Im trying to gain 17 lbs, still have curves but then I would love to get muscle and tone up...not solid, lol sexy tone up. My question is, is it better for me to gain the 17lbs first then tone up or lift and do toning exercises while Im on my weight gain journey? Im scared that anything I work out will just burn that extra lb lol Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Also I added 500 calories to my daily caloric intake and I take mass xxx daily but only half a serving so that it last longer.

jstout365

Well do you want curves from fat or muscle. You won't gain a ton of muscle. Rate of muscle gain in the first year of training for a woman is 10-12 pounds of muscle in proper diet and training conditions. Eating at a surplus without any resistance training will add mostly to fat. 17 lbs of fat will more than likely make you jiggly rather than toned and shapely.

So...I'm guessing that you should probably start to do a strength training program like New Rules of Lifting for Women and eat enough to maintain a surplus of calories to meet the goals you seem to have. As you build the muscle, you will also gain some fat that will soften out the "solid". Body fat helps soften muscles. The leaner a woman gets, the more likely she is to have what you are calling the "solid" figure. If you don't like that look, keep your BF% higher.

SecantSix

Definitely better to lift and do toning exercises while on your weight gain journey.

500 calories above your TDEE is ideal for gaining healthy weight. Pay attention to your macro nutrients: make sure you're getting the recommended amount or more of protein every day. Avoid the temptation to eat junk food to meet your caloric needs; eat quality fats such as those found in nuts and fish.

Finally, don't be scared that strength training will burn the extra weight. Weight gain is all about eating more calories than you use. As long as you factor in the calories you're burning from toning exercises and keep your daily NET calories at 500 above TDEE, you will see the scale go up. And it will be healthy, sexy weight too! ;-)

Good luck!

Snow3y

Men struggle with gaining muscle mass, what makes you think a woman, with little testosterone, would make significant gains?

steve0820

Well do you want curves from fat or muscle. You won't gain a ton of muscle. Rate of muscle gain in the first year of training for a woman is 10-12 pounds of muscle in proper diet and training conditions. Eating at a surplus without any resistance training will add mostly to fat. 17 lbs of fat will more than likely make you jiggly rather than toned and shapely.

So...I'm guessing that you should probably start to do a strength training program like New Rules of Lifting for Women and eat enough to maintain a surplus of calories to meet the goals you seem to have. As you build the muscle, you will also gain some fat that will soften out the "solid". Body fat helps soften muscles. The leaner a woman gets, the more likely she is to have what you are calling the "solid" figure. If you don't like that look, keep your BF% higher.

I agree! It sounds like you want 17lbs of lean muscle mass, which for a woman naturally, could take a couple of years to be honest. Just eat at a surplus until you reach the build you want, afterwards, you can reduce BF for the "solid" look.

AliceDark

Have you calculated your TDEE? You don't have your weight listed on your page, but 1990 calories seems low for a 5'7" woman trying to bulk. (Obviously, that depends on a ton of factors, including your weight and activity level, but I'm 5'4" and started at 120 pounds, and I didn't start gaining until I got up to 2200). I think you said you added 500 calories to your average intake, which is a good start, but be aware that you may need to go higher to see gains. Also, your protein target looks a little low, so you may want to do a little bit of reading on macro distribution and think about raising that a little.