What is your recipe for strength gains?

There is some great information in this thread that I'm definitely taking an applying to myself. Thanks for the post OP!

briannasnyder12 wrote: »

jjpptt2 wrote: »

Sleep will be a big factor... how is your overall intake? Getting sufficient calories? If you're getting enough cals, the shift in macros shouldn't have a big effect. Is your diet even remotely balanced?

Are you on a decent lifting program? Have you deloaded recently?

To your question, sleep and focus have always been my limiting factors. If I'm on a decent program with scheduled progression, I can usually make that progression without any significant problems/delays.

I almost always get around 1300 calories per day, if not more (I try to get at least 1600 on leg day) as I'm only 128 pounds, ~17% body fat, and have maintained this weight for about 1 year (while dropping ~2% body fat).

I wasn't sure if maybe I wasn't providing enough carbs in my pre/postworkout at ~65 total grams per day, and thought maybe that was causing such a dramatic regression in strength.

1300 cals?
I weigh the same as you - how tall are you?
I eat about 1900-2000 to maintain and was feeling great and I've recently upped to about 2250 and have seen amazing strength gains with minimal fat gain (but tons of muscle gain). Are you sure you're eating enough? I know there was a point I hit where I was able to slowly up my calories without gain and felt so much better and was hitting heavier and heavier lifts every week (as opposed to when I was eating between 1400-1600)

Best of luck! Especially with the MCAT - props to you, my SO is a med student and I have so much respect for people who choose to make that their career.