If you’re looking to gain weight, mass gainers are a great route as they’re calorie dense, are packed with a huge amount of the calories you’ll need and often have additional supplements tossed in like BCAA’s, Creatine Monohydrate , and even digestive enzymes! The type of gainer you choose may influence your growth, wallet, and overall health so choose wisely! It’s not easy to choose the best mass gainer, because no single one is the best of them all, so pick based on which you think will suit your body type, budget and overall needs best!
I’ve compiled this list of protein shakes to gain weight using all the prices from Amazon.com. I tried to keep them all at the same purchase weight of 10lbs, however some were only available in select sizes. Included will be the calorie content per serving, weight, and cost to weight ratio! There will be guaranteed to be at least one or two different products that’ll fit your specific needs best to help you get your body where you want it to be! Ok, now I will help you to choose the best mass gainer on the market.
So, what are the best supplements to gain weight?
Our Top 10 Weight Gainers
Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer
$6.88/lb (10 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
Optimum Nutrition mass gainer is certainly one of the most well-known names in the industry. They always sport high quality product, their flavor selection is often on-point, and overall you cannot really go wrong with them. I tend to think of them like the Apple of supplements – good, however if you’re looking to fill your specific needs, I’d recommend shopping elsewhere. Still, you’re guaranteed a quality product with no guesswork or confusion involved!
Each recommended serving packs in a total of 650 calories & 60 grams of protein. One of the higher protein-to-calorie ratios on the list as well as low in fats, high in carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins! Double chocolate is a safe flavor choice, and will taste great when blended with either milk or water, some bananas and other complimentary flavors additives.
There are unfortunately no BCAA’s, Creatine or other instrumental muscle-building supplements packed into the Pro Gainer so I’d recommend a different product if you find those are particularly important.
The price is a little on the high side, however you get what you pay for – quality product! If you’re on a budget, there are much better offerings and if you’re on a specific diet or have allergies, I’d check out a different item on the list.
BSN TRUE-MASS
$5.02/lb (10.38 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
BSN is also a familiar name in the brand with similarly quality products. Each serving packs in 700 calories & 50 grams of protein. This is also a bit more cost effective than ON’s offering so if you’re really looking to add mass quickly at a lower cost, BSN’s TRUE-MASS is certainly a better option.
As a rule of thumb, I almost always go with chocolate based flavor mass gainer except in rare situations. I’d opt for chocolate milkshake in this regard, and likewise with the Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer, I’d mix it with either milk or water and throw in banana, yogurt/ice cream, nuts and other fun things to make it taste better. In terms of serving size, BSN’s TRUE-MASS has one of the lowest serving sizes, meaning your purchase weight will go quite a long way.
Overall, the TRUE-MASS is a fantastic gainer. While it doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of inventiveness, it takes a proven formula and works on perfecting it instead. It’s practically impossible to go wrong with this gainer!
Muscle Milk Gainer Protein Powder
$4.43/lb (10 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
A familiar name to some, however not quite as big as other brands. Muscle Milk is a safe pick to go with and you’ll have no worries when it comes to safety. Packed in is 650 calories & 32 grams of protein for each 162 gram serving which sets it right in the middle of calorie to protein ratios. In addition to that, this gainer has a whopping 109 grams of carbohydrates per serving – perfect for an early morning shake to get the day started with plenty of energy!
Again, chocolate is a safe flavor choice however Cookies & Cream tastes very impressive and you’ll certainly pack on a good amount of mass with this offering. Cost effectiveness is solid and for those on the line, this mass gainer is a great choice! Good to note is if you have a gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, this is a safe choice as Muscle Milk has ensured it’s entirely gluten free.
Likewise with BSN’s TRUE-MASS, Muscle Milks Gainer is a healthy all-around choice that delivers consistent results at a great price point!
NOW Sports Carbo Gain
$2.79/lb (12 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
A rather unknown name, NOW Sports offers the Carbo Gain – a 100% complex carbohydrates gainer powder. Per serving it features 250 calories and 0 grams of protein – however their serving size is very small compared to other listings here so a more accurate number is ~750 calories per serving. For reference, the Carbo Gains official serving size is only 63 grams while many gainers suggest servings of over double or triple that!
This weight gainer is incredibly cost effective and is completely different from the others as is contains only carbohydrates. Great if you need a lot of long-term energy or if your diet restricts what you can consume if you have sensitivities, allergies or a specific meal-plan. It’s practically flavorless minus a tinge of sweetness, so I wouldn’t hesitate to throw this into a smoothie, shake, milk or other.
Also, the cost is fantastic! You really can’t beat the price ratio here so you’re getting a great deal. If you’re looking to add serious mass on a very short budget, I would look no further than this one! So is it the best gainer? Pricewise… Maybe…
Universal Nutrition Animal M Stak
$1.43/serving (21 servings) – Check The Price On Amazon
This product is completely different from the others. Universal Nutrition is a relatively unheard yet solid name with a solid range of products to back them. They set out to create a non-steroidal mass gainer and performance enhancer without any calories or protein intake.
Arguably the most scientific-minded product of the bunch, the Animal M Stak aims to promote muscle growth and protein synthesis without introducing any hormone-containing ingredients. If you’re also prone to acne or other hormonal related problems, I would lean towards the Animal M Stak.
Each packet contains a massive range of vitamins and supplements with many plant based compounds such as L-Carnitine Fumarate, Eurycoma Longifolia root extract, and Alpha-GPC. You get 21 packets which is 3 weeks supply, as you’re meant to cycle this supplement for 3 weeks on, 1 week off. Take is 45 minutes before a workout or in the morning/early afternoon if on a rest day.
In essence, Universal Nutrition wanted to create the best anabolic growth package imaginable without actually being steroidal. Many people have found wonderful success with this supplement. It features no calories and no protein, as it’s meant to instead help the body’s natural way of protein synthesis. If you’re a classic hardgainer, into bodybuilding and powerlifting, and want a powerful yet effective boost to your routine while adding raw and pure muscle, I’d go for this product. Try it, that might be the best weight gainer for you.
Naked Nutrition Chocolate Less Naked Mass
$8.12/lb (8 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
Naked Nutrition is a small company with one goal – to be completely open with which ingredients they you; naked if you will. Most of their products feature a number of ingredients that you can count on only one hand! Naked Mass is not an exception. Really ideal if you don’t trust the mishmash of chemicals, supplements, and questionable things added to many other mass gainer powders.
Per serving, the powder has a monstrous 1,360 calories & 50 grams of protein, as well as 251g of complex carbohydrates and 11.6g of BCAAs (branch chain amino-acids). This is a super dense and tasty product. Welcome to note is the company’s decision to make it GMO-free, organic, and gluten-free for those with sensitive allergies.
The price is quite a premium being the most costly per pound, however you absolutely get what you pay for and Naked Nutrition has a superb product. It’s rare to see a product on the market that stresses the low-ingredient count so heavily and their non-chocolate offerings feature only three ingredients to it!
CytoSport Cyto Gainer Protein Powder
$6.45/lb (6 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
Cytosport mass gainer is another smaller name in the industry. The pricing is mid-tier, rivaling the product Optimum Nutrition has. The Cyto Gainer is one of the highest protein/calorie solutions around. This is certainly one of the better choices if you’re looking to pack on as much muscle as possible as well as pure mass. It contains 560 calories & 56 grams of protein per serving and stacking in healthy amounts of L-Glutamine and Creatine monohydrate which helps for muscle building! This forgoes the need to purchase either of those supplements in the future, saving you money in the end.
Flavor is just as good as the other options available and I’ll again suggest chocolate for this product. Can never go wrong with chocolate!
MusclePharm Combat XL
$3.67/lb (12 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
Again one of the lowest-cost entries, MusclePharms Combat XL is good for those on a restricted budget and want to toss on mass as quickly as possible. MusclePharm is a pretty recognized name in the industry so you’re certainly guaranteed a quality product. This is the best cost/calorie & protein option available packing a whopping 1,270 calories & 50 grams of protein per serving! For gaining mass as quick as possible in a short time frame while on a budget, the Combat XL gainer is definitely a really solid choice. So, can we call it the best? I don’t know.. You decide..
Beyond that, you already know which flavor choice I’m going to suggest. While the Now Sports Carbo Gain has a higher calorie content overall at a lower price, there are no proteins loaded into it, so the Combat XL is your next best bet for cheap gains while including stronger amounts of muscular growth.
MuscleTech Mass Tech
$6.67/lb (12 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
MuscleTech is a rather small name in the industry; however they’re no newbies in terms of making a quality product. With a hefty 830 calories & 63 grams of protein per serving, the Mass Tech has a healthy dose of the nutrients your body needs to thrive and pack on the pounds. Bundled into the Mass Tech gainer are healthy servings of L-Glutamine, Creatine Monohydrate, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine. These are all instrumental supplements for powerful muscle growth and contribute to developing mass quickly.
In the end, you end up saving money with this option as those supplements are mixed into the powder itself, while remaining lean with only trace levels of fats and sugars. Flavor is certainly a strong point with this, and although I almost always opt for chocolate, all of their other available flavors are seriously top notch. While the Mass Tech mass gainer doesn’t specialize in any single department, it’s another top-notch contender for a product you really couldn’t go wrong with!
MHP, Up Your Mass Weight Gainer
$5.88/lb (5.1 lbs) – Check The Price On Amazon
Beyond the clever naming scheme, the Up Your Mass gainer also packs in a hefty amount of branch chain amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other supplements to ensure you get bursting muscle growth quickly. The gainer features 660 calories & 50 grams of protein per serving which is one of the highest grams of protein/calorie on this list. A large selling point for the Up Your Mass is the inclusion of a wide plethora of digestive enzymes to aide your digestive tract in efficiently putting what you drink right where it matters.
With attractive amounts of fiber, low-glycemic index carbohydrates, a massive amount of vitamins, minerals and supplements, this gainer truly is the jack of all trades king, especially at such a competitive price point.
This is certainly a great option if you’re not reaching all your dietary needs like vitamin intake or daily fibers, and all of this at quite an attractive price point is pretty impressive!
Summary
While there is no single ‘best’ one, these are ten of the greatest mass gainers currently on the market today. For specific purposes and roles, each gainer listed fills a specific niche from dietary restrictions, protein to calorie ratios, low cost solutions, no-calorie mass gainers, massive calorie gainers, no protein options, and so forth!
It’s recommended to find out which needs your body and situation calls for – whether you want to build huge amounts of mass quickly, are on a restricted budget or diet, or want to build powerful and lean muscle with no extra fats or sugars – there’s a gainer out there for everyone! The most important rule of all – almost always choose chocolate!
Bonus tips!
When making shakes, milk always blends with gainers much better, and the addition of milk, yogurt or low-fat ice cream packs on a high amount of calories quickly. For extra protein, healthy fats and calorie additions, nuts such as walnuts, peanuts and almonds add great flavor and bonus nutrition! It’s easy to turn a shake which was original 750 calories into a 1,500 calorie monster with milk instead of water, a scoop of ice cream, some nuts, fruits and yogurt tossed in!
Consume the shakes early in the day or directly after a workout to ensure your body uses the nutrients and supplements packed into the gainers most effectively. It’s important to monitor your total calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fats intake to ensure you’re not over-consuming too much of one thing. Hope this list of weight gainers that actually work helped and aids in you getting the physical goals you have!
Hey.
This is an amazing post.
Can I share This article to my private blog?