PULLMAN — So you take some peanut butter, defensive end Logan Mayes said, and some Ensure, some protein powder, some yogurt, some Carnation instant breakfast and a little bit of milk.

And for some reason — a very good reason, as it turns out — Mayes mixes all of these things together in a blender. Then he drinks.

"Then you have a nice fluid shake that you can just kind of sip on over the next two hours," Mayes said Wednesday after Washington State's seventh practice of training camp. "And that'll get you about 2,000 calories and you'll be well on your way to what your goal is for a day."

Mayes, by the way, has gained roughly 30 pounds since the end of last season, up to about 245 from the 215 he weighed in November, he said.

It shows.

"I really gained a lot of the weight over Christmas break and over the winter, so that's when I really noticed that I felt stronger," Mayes said. "I looked bigger in pictures and I was able to get more physical and beat into guys."

Outside linebackers coach Paul Volero, who coaches Mayes at the hybrid "buck" position, said: "He's toned up more. Coach (Jason) Loscalzo does a great job in that weight room and from when we got here mid-December 'til now, it's been a big improvement."

And a necessary one. Mayes, a sophomore, was used primarily in pass-rushing situations last season as a true freshman. But he thinks he would have played more had he been bigger, so he set out to add weight to his 6-foot-3 frame in order to better defend the run.

Which, he figures, will help get him on the field more often.

A nutrition nut to begin with, Mayes upped his calorie count. Instead of loading up his plate, he consumed more liquids, which are easier to digest (hence the blended concoction). He continued regular workouts in the weight room. He slept for 10 hours every night, something he concedes is impossible during camp with meetings ending at 10 p.m. before a 7 a.m. alarm.

"Some people say 'I can't gain weight' and all this stuff, then they have the separate issue of managing their time," Mayes said. "Really, the two are cross-connected. You have to manage your time so you can get to bed on time and get your proper rest and recovery, and then your body can rebuild."