Skinny guys, hard gainers, ectomorphs, I feel your pain. While the world battles with obesity, and every second article or video online is about how to lose weight, you are struggling to gain even a few pounds.
While the formula for gaining weight is deceptively simple, consuming enough calories is often harder than it may sound. Mass gainers are essentially liquid calories and macros and are a great way to increase caloric intake.
But simple calories are rarely what we're after, which is why my list does not include some of the most popular mass gainers but only the best weight gain supplements for skinny guys.
- Best Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys: Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer
- Best Budget Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer
- Best Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Athletes: Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
- Best Vegan Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys: Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer
- Best Animal-Based Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys: REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement
Best Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys
Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer
Pros
- Uses whole-food carbohydrate sources instead of cheap maltodextrin.
- The ideal carbs to protein ratio.
- Digestive enzymes eliminate bloating and stomach discomfort
Cons
- 488 calories may be too little for someone who wants to gain weight as fast as possible
Price Per Serving
- $4.50 one-off purchase
- $3.15 subscription
===>Check Latest Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer Deals<===
Crazy Nutrition is a relatively new supplement brand, but it has already made a significant impact on the market. Crazy Nutrition's bulk gainer is unique in that it contains digestive enzymes.
The most common complaint regarding weight gain supplements is stomach pain and bloating, which is frequently caused by excessive serving sizes and low-quality ingredients.
Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer does not cause these side effects because the ingredients are high in quality and thanks to the digestive enzymes.
My own experience with the product also proves it does not have unpleasant side effects, which are too typical with other products.
Furthermore, they use whole food sources instead of cheap carbohydrate fillers like wheat maltodextrin. These are the food sources used in Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer:
- Gluten-free oats
- Pea starch
- Whey protein blend of whey isolate and concentrate
- Sweet potato flour
This also makes it an excellent meal replacement for non-training days or when you're in a rush and need to eat something.
The macros of this supplement further support its ranking as the best weight gainer on this list.
They use a 2:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, which is great for anyone tracking their macros while on a high-carbohydrate diet, such as a skinny guy trying to gain weight.
Here's a macro breakdown:
|
Macro |
Dose |
|
Calories |
488 |
|
Protein |
40 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
55 g (7.5 g from sugar) |
|
Fat |
10 g |
As you can see, sugar makes up only 7.5 grams of carbohydrates, with the rest coming from whole foods.
You can choose between chocolate and vanilla, but I strongly recommend you get the chocolate, which tastes fantastic.
Overall, this is my personal favorite weight-gaining supplement.
===>Check Latest Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer Deals<===
Best Budget Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pro Gainer
Pros
- The highest protein dose in any weight gainer
- Cheaper per serving than gainers using whole food carb sources
- Third-party tested for banned substances
- Has a ton of micronutrients
Cons
- Doesn’t use whole food carbohydrate sources.
Price Per Serving
- $3.93 per serving
===>Check Latest Optimum Nutrition Mass Gainer Deals<===
Optimum Nutrition is an established brand known for its many high-quality supplements. Their Gold Standard Pro Gainer is worth considering, especially if you struggle to achieve your protein requirements.
It contains 60 g per serving, the most in any bulk gainer. Here is a macro breakdown.
|
Macro |
Dose |
|
Calories |
650 |
|
Protein |
60 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
81 g |
|
Fat |
9 g |
The product also contains 29 vitamins and minerals, making it an excellent supplement for overall health.
Despite its extensive ingredient list, the Gold Standard Pro Gainer has been tested for contaminants and banned substances and bears the Informed Choice label, indicating that it is clean.
The disadvantage of this product is that it doesn't use whole foods as carbohydrate sources, only maltodextrin.
However, at $3.93, it is a more affordable option than the whole-food solutions provided by Crazy Nutrition and Transparent Labs.
There are cheaper bulk gainers on the market. However, they often contain lower-quality components and are high in artificial compounds.
Furthermore, most mass gainers have 1200-1300 calories and around 50 grams of protein, while with the Gold Standard, you get 60 grams of protein at half the calories. With 80 grams of carbs, this gainer is almost at a 1:1 ratio between carbs and protein.
Optimum Nutrition is a trustworthy brand, and the Gold Standard gainer has many advantages, so I would advise you to choose it if budget is a concern, even though cheaper options are available.
===>Check Latest Optimum Nutrition Mass Gainer Deals<===
Best Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Athletes
Transparent Labs Mass Gainer
Pros
- Made only from natural, high-quality ingredients
- Informed Choice mark is trustworthy third-party testing
- Excellent macro profile
- Contains 3 g of creatine monohydrate
Cons
- The most expensive gainer on the list
Price Per Serving
- $5.33 per serving
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Deals<===
Transparent Labs constantly produces high-quality goods, including protein, creatine, pre-workout supplements, and muscle gainers.
|
Macro |
Dose |
|
Calories |
750 |
|
Protein |
53 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
110 g (12 g from sugar) |
|
Fat |
14 g |
Their goods, including the Mass Gainer, are usually popular among athletes because they bear the Informed Choice label, indicating that each batch was tested for banned substances or contaminants.
Like their pure protein powder, the protein in this product comes from grass-fed whey, which is superior to regular dairy. Its carbohydrates come from organic tapioca, oats, and sweet potato, all of which are high in complex carbohydrates.
There are only two taste options: chocolate and vanilla. Depending on the flavor (chocolate has the most), each serving provides 51-53g of protein, 106-110g of carbohydrates, 4-6g of fiber, and 12g of sugar. Each meal will contain roughly 730–750 calories.
One serving also includes 3 grams of creatine monohydrate.
The Transparent Labs Mass Gainer is on the expensive side, at $5.13 per serving, but given the company's commitment to producing all-natural, clean, and third-party certified products, you get what you pay for.
If you're a competitive athlete looking to gain muscle mass, Transparent Labs is your best choice.
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Deals<===
Best Vegan Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys
Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer
Pros
- Only natural ingredients, favorers, and sweeteners
- High pea protein content
- Complex carbohydrates profile
- 3 g of creatine is great for vegans
Cons
- The taste can be much better.
Price Per Serving
- $5.33 per serving
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer Deals<===
Vegan diets can easily result in a calorie surplus, but the macronutrient profile is typically poor, making it difficult to obtain adequate high-quality protein.
|
Macro |
Dose |
|
Calories |
730 |
|
Protein |
52 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
115 g (9 g from sugar) |
|
Fat |
10 g |
Furthermore, there aren't many high-quality vegan mass gainers on the market in general.
But Transparent Labs, which also makes one of the best regular mass gainers, offers an excellent vegan alternative for those who want to build mass without consuming animal products.
With 750 calories, 110 g of carbs, 53 protein (50 in the vanilla flavor), 9 g of fat, and 10 g of sugar, the numbers are almost identical to the company's non-vegan bulk gainer.
The only protein source is pea protein isolate, and the carbohydrates come from tapioca maltodextrin, oat flower, and sweet potato powder. The 3 grams of creatine monohydrate are a fantastic addition to the formula, especially for vegans, who cannot get any creatine from food.
This vegan mass gainer has a well-balanced blend of plant-based proteins, carbohydrates, and essential components that support muscle building and weight gain without animal products.
===>Check Latest Transparent Labs Vegan Mass Gainer Deals<===
Best Animal-Based Weight Gain Supplement For Skinny Guys
REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement
Pros
- 47 g of protein coming from a range of meat, fish, and vegetable whole food sources
- An excellent macro and micronutrient profile that makes it a proper meal replacement, not simply a weight gainer
- At $2, it provides great value both as a meal replacement and when compared to high-quality mass gainers
Cons
- The four-scoop dose may make you feel bloated
Price Per Serving
- $3.20 per serving
===>Check Latest REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement<===
Meal replacement supplements and muscle gainers are similar in terms of calorie content. However, the Redcon1 MRE is not your usual whey/maltodextrin bulk gainer.
|
Macro |
Dose |
|
Calories |
530 |
|
Protein |
47 g |
|
Carbohydrates |
75 g (5 g from sugar) |
|
Fat |
4 g |
Instead, it comprises a whole-food blend of powdered beef, fish, chicken, eggs, brown rice, and pea protein. The carbs come from whole foods such as rolled oats, yams, and sweet potatoes.
The macros are comparable to those of a typical well-balanced meal, with 530 calories, 47 g of protein, 75 g of carbohydrates, and 4 g of fat. When you analyze the sources, you can see why this is more than just a mass gainer; it's also a healthy meal replacement.
Despite the MRE's meat and fish protein sources, I assure you it tastes nothing like meat or fish.
You can choose the taste of your protein supplement—chocolate, vanilla, banana, and other common flavors.
If you struggle to eat enough solid food during the day, the Redcon1 MRE is a great animal-based meal replacement. Of course, you can also use it as a mass gainer, consuming it in addition to your regular diet.
===>Check Latest REDCON1 MRE Whole Foods Meal Replacement<===
Weight Gain Supplements To Avoid
I want to make a very important point here. The method of gaining weight I approve of is more gradual and prioritizes gaining muscle mass over fat. This is generally what most guys want anyway, and it improves both your aesthetics and athletic performance.
This is why I and the people I train avoid mass gainers with too many calories and a poor carbohydrate-to-protein ratio. Stuffing yourself with a ton of simple carbs daily will most likely lead to gaining fat and little muscle.
That said, if you are skinny and need to gain mass quickly regardless of the type for health reasons, the products listed in the category "to avoid" become a good choice.
Dymatize Super Mass Gainer
I recommend avoiding these mass gainers because of the crazy serving sizes. A single serving comprises 2 & ½ cups of powder and 1280 calories, which is excessive.
This leaves only 8 servings in the tub, enough for just over a week. If you eat one serving per day, you will require four tubs for a month.
I often advise people to take half a serving with mass gainers, but half a serving here has more than 600 calories and only 25 grams of protein.
With just 50 g of protein per serving, you're paying more than $50 for 245 g of flavored maltodextrin. It is not worth the money, and the protein-to-carbohydrate ratio is far inferior to that of high-quality bulk gainers.
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass
Optimal Nutrition Serious Mass is often the first weight gainer that comes to mind when considering mass gainer supplements. However, it has the same drawbacks as the Dymatize Super Mass Gainer.
A serving size of 2 and ½ cups has 1250 calories, 50 g of protein, and 254 g of carbohydrates. Again, you're paying for flavored maltodextrin.
As a skinny guy, consuming a full dose daily would leave little room for other carbohydrates with a higher nutritional profile and fiber.
Serious Mass also contains creatine, which is usually a good idea for a mass gainer, but it is just 1 g per serving, meaning you still need to take additional creatine.
How To Pick Weight Gainers For Skinny Guys
Calories And Macros
In my opinion, the most significant component of a mass gainer is its macro profile.
Macros are the three main categories of nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The best gainers that facilitate muscle gain contain about a 2:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, which works nicely.
Some of these bulk gainers have a 5-to-1 ratio, which is not ideal. These are also products with massive 1000+ calorie serving sizes, which can easily spill you into too big of a calorie surplus.
You can always split the serving to match your color needs, but then you are also cutting the protein amount too much.
Furthermore, if you take 250 grams of simple carbs with your shake, you will likely have to decrease your carb intake from real food, worsening your micronutrient intake.
This is why all of the recommended mass gainers on this roundup have between 500 and 700 calories per serving and a carb-to-protein ratio of 2:1 or 3:1, even though the most popular gainers on the market take the 5:1 approach.
All mass gainers have very low fat, so it's not something you should worry about.
Ingredients
The top two mass gainers on the list incorporate whole food sources into their formulations, allowing for a more balanced and healthier increased caloric intake.
Furthermore, you want to know if your mass gainer can replace a meal on non-training days without relying on simple sugars for the majority of your carbohydrate needs.
Better products, such as Crazy Nutrition and Transparent Labs, use complex carbs such as oats and sweet potatoes rather than only maltodextrin.
Most mass gainers focus on whey protein as their primary protein source, which is excellent for muscle development, but if you are searching for a meal replacement, the Redcon1 MRE's multiple animal and plant protein sources are a better option.
Other ingredients in mass gainers can also influence your choice. Some have creatine inside, eliminating the need to take creatine separately since you will likely drink the mass gainer daily.
Some products also have digestive enzymes, which dampen the effect the big doses have on the stomach.
Serving Size and Calories
Serving size is another important thing to consider. As you can see in the list of mass gainers to avoid, each serving size contains more than 300 g of powder, which is 2 & ½ cups, to be exact.
That's a huge amount of powder that will likely choke your blender and make you bloated like a balloon. Well-balanced mass gainers have much more reasonable serving sizes.
Personal Goals
As you most likely know, to gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you expend, and the opposite is true if you want to lose weight.
Your weight depends on the number of calories you consume, but the quality of your weight depends much more on the macronutrient profile of these calories and the level and type of activity you engage in.
Consider your goals, current weight, and body composition, and choose the mass gainer that matches your needs. Most guy's goals are to pack more muscle, which is why all the gainers I've recommended have balanced macros and reasonable calories.
But if you want to gain as much weight as possible in the shortest time, a supplement with 1200 calories and 250 grams of crab is also a viable choice.
Third-Party Testing
Third-party testing means an independent lab tests the products for contaminants, impurities, and whether or not they contain what the ingredients list says they do.
There are different brands and marks for third-party testing, but the most legitimate certificates are Informed Choice, Informed Sport, Labdoor, ConsumerLab, and others.
Look for these logos on the tubs to ensure the supplement you drink is clean, especially if you are subjected to random drug tests.
Price
The prices of mass gainers depend largely on their sources. Whole-food sources of carbs and natural and organic ingredients always cost more than cheaper or synthetic alternatives.
Good mass gainers usually cost between $4 and $6, which is a lot more than protein powders and other supplements. But remember that with a gainer, you are getting a meal's worth of macros in powder form, not only protein.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can a Skinny Guy Gain Weight Fast?
As a skinny guy, you have a low-fat, lean frame. Don't destroy this by gaining weight too quickly, resulting in a lot more fat than muscle on your frame.
Skinny men (and women) gain weight by ingesting more calories than they expend, according to the basic calorie in/calorie out calculation. However, there is a difference between building muscle and gaining fat.
You should aim to gain weight steadily. Gaining 10 pounds of body weight in a month is too fast, and continuing at that rate indicates that you're gaining largely fat mass rather than muscle. Second, you should eat adequate protein.
This ranges between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. When bulking, you can get away with about 0.8 g of protein per pound of body weight since the extra calories from carbs and fats are protein-sparing.
What Supplements Should a Skinny Guy Take To Gain Weight?
Skinny guys can gain weight and muscle without supplements by eating enough food and being in a caloric surplus. While not mandatory, supplements like mass gainers make getting into caloric surplus easier.
Mass gainers are calories and macros in liquid form, which are easier to take than solid food and are often cheaper.
They can't and shouldn't be used as a substitute for a well-balanced diet, but they can significantly help increase calories and reach optimal daily protein intake.
Are Weight Gainers Good For Skinny Guys?
Mass gainers are a great supplement for skinny guys who want to gain weight. They won't make you bulk up on their own, but they are a practical and cost-effective way to get additional calories and protein.
Summary
I always prefer mass gainers and meal replacements with a 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio and calories roughly matching those of a dense meal.
My top pick is the Crazy Nutrition bulk Gainer since the macros are in an ideal ratio, it contains whole food rouses, and the digestive enzymes eliminate one of the most common issues with bulk gainers-bloating.
If you are an athlete, you should choose the third-party tested Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, and if you are vegan, the same company is again your best option.
Redcon1 MRE provides a full meal replacement with a much wider variety of protein sources than any other product.
===>Check Latest Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer Deals<===
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