Mass is mainly built through your diet. Lifting weights in any form helps, but the main determining factor is discipline in the kitchen. After this, you might want to lean into bodybuilding instead of powerlifting if mass is your main goal.

 

 

Before we go into the details of whether you can use powerlifting to gain mass, let me ask you a couple of questions:

 

 

These questions are essential for your personal success and failure. Research shows that people who write down their goals and reflect on them are more likely to achieve them. When was the last time you did this? Can you even remember? If you can not it is time to get a pen and paper and start. Many people go about their lives like this: 

 

 

This is a great way to get your knickers in a twist. What you want changes hundreds of times a day depending on what you do, who you are with and where you are. Making this the center of attention will spread your resources thin and scatter your time between too many activities. This will create frustration and misery. Something interesting happens when you flip the running order of these questions on their head: 

 

 

This way you will focus on your life goals. Your thoughts and actions will become more connected and streamlined. Success will follow. If you want to know how this works on a psychological level read Daniel Kahneman's thinking fast and slow. Simon Sinek's Ted talk on the golden circle will change your life. 

 

It all starts with better habits and rituals to get more done in less time. A great way to establish them is to keep a journal. I use the self journal from best self for two years now. Since then my marriage and salary have dramatically improved.  You can check it out via this link.

 

 

When you say that you want to put on mass, what does that actually mean? Do you want to pack on muscle? Do you just want to get heavier to pull more weight? There are many options and it will be helpful to reach your goal to make it as specific as possible. Specificity will help you to get results. 

 

 

Putting mass is simple. Eat more calories than you burn. That is where it basically goes back to. You can hack this process in many ways and a great book to read in the matter is the 4-hour body by Tim Ferris. You will find a lot of different techniques in there to maximize gaining mass. 

 

 

Powerlifting is the sport of the total. Your total consists of three lifts. These three lifts are the bench press, squat, and deadlift. For each lift, you get three attempts to establish your personal best. The best attempt for each lift will be counted towards your total. Based on your total you will be ranked against your competitors.

 

A big difference to lifting in the gym is that you will be judged. Three referees will observe your performance from different angles. They decide whether you executed according to the standards of the federation you are competing in. Two out of three judges have to agree for your attempt to qualify. You need at least one qualifying attempt for each lift to make it on the board. Otherwise, you will be disqualified.

 

 

Whether you do weightlifting, powerlifting or bodybuilding is not the main factor for gaining mass. Your diet, genetics, and hormones are. If you want to pack on muscle this is where you lit your research time in, not into what kind of weight to lift how often.