Professional powerlifters know how to put on the serious mass, which helps them go up a notch or two when competing. Every lifter knows that the more solid muscle mass you add to the body, the more weight you’re able to launch and to sustain. It’s just simple math and mechanics. A one-hundred-and-fifty-pound lifter will never be able to match weights with someone in the two-hundred-and-fifty pound range. So if you’re ready to bulk up in a healthy and sane way, here are some boss tips for doing so.

Eat slow and eat often

Three meals a day just doesn’t cut it when it comes to macronutrients and the right kind of calories from muscle growth supplements. You have to stuff yourself to get the proper amount of protein and carbs, and that leaves you with a heavy, bloated feeling that works against your exercise schedule and keeps you dull when you need to be sharp. So amp it up to six smaller meals a day, and remember to chew your food thoroughly. There’s an old saying that to get the most out of your food you should chew each bite forty times. While a full forty bites might be a bit much, masticating your food well has been proven to release more macronutrients, minerals, and vitamins, than if you just wolf it down. Plus a long chew helps to avoid indigestion and prevents a feeling of bloated fullness from developing. And, of course, you should brush after each meal — once you start bulking up in a big way and competing often, you won’t have time to visit the dentist more than twice a year!

Stay hydrated

While most powerlifting events nowadays are held indoors, away from the heat and sun, there is still good reason to watch your water intake carefully and see that it doesn’t fall below a certain level at any time, whether you’re actively lifting or resting. The general rule of thumb is drink at least one ounce of water for each kilogram of weight.  

Just take in a goodly portion of plain old water; bottled or from the tap, it really doesn’t matter. Water is essential in helping you properly digest your six meals a day. It carries micro and macro nutrients into muscle cells. It breaks down protein. And, of course, it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. 

Get your eight hours

The human body has a built-in rhythm that needs to be maintained for optimum health and performance. This includes a full eight hours of sleep each night. The human body adds good lean mass during the night, if given enough bulk building food and a full eight hours of rest in which to work the magic. Depriving yourself of sleep in order to work out more or party more, or whatever, is not going to help grow the serious mass you want as fast as you want.

So remember, no caffeine right before bedtime. No violent workouts an hour prior to bedtime. Take the time and make the effort to make your bedroom and your bed a pleasant and soothing place to sleep. Turn off the cell phone and unplug completely from social media. Make yourself a glass of warm milk.