You’d probably like to think that lifting big weight is simply a matter of big muscles—that if you have hulking lats, you can row a barbell loaded with clanking plates until next Thursday. However, if you’re not fueling your body properly, you’ll find out in a hurry just how shortsighted that philosophy is. You’ve probably heard the analogy before: your musculature is like a car—if you fuel it with junk, it’ll perform like junk. That is absolutely true when it comes to training for strength.

If you’re looking to move the most weight possible, then you’re going to have to make sure that your muscles are performing like they’re running on jet fuel, not 87 octane from your discount, corner gas station. Here are five ways to make sure your body is firing on all cylinders each time you step up to the rack, bench or platform for a big lift.