Are you one of those people who struggle to gain weight? While others may envy you and even consider you lucky, you’re painfully aware that it’s not always a walk in the park. However, the best weight gainer products can help you tip the scales in your favor and bulk up. Whether you’re concerned about your health, self-conscious of your string-bean physique or want to pack on muscle, there’s a quality weight gainer product to help you achieve your goal.
With the supplements and health food market of today, the choices for weight gainer products are overwhelming. Not sure what to get? We have put together a comprehensive guide so that you can choose the best weight gainer product for your needs. In this post, you’ll learn about the different types of weight gainers, how to pick the best weight gainer and what some of the top products are.
What Is a Weight Gainer?
Weight gainers, also known as mass gainers or mass builders, are products that are designed to help you gain weight. Most of these products cater to individuals specifically looking to increase their muscle mass. This makes sense. After all, having tons of extra fat on your body is never ideal, no matter how thin you are. If you are underweight, you likely want to gain weight, but you also want to ensure that the majority of what you gain is muscle.
Gaining weight is hard work! For people who are naturally thin or scrawny, it can be really hard to make the scales go up. Not to mention that if you want to gain weight in a healthy way, you can’t just eat donuts all day. However, that doesn’t mean that fats and carbs are bad. You need a combination of nutrients in your diet to help you gain weight the healthy way. It’s recommended that you eat high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods such as avocado, nuts and seeds, healthy oils, dried fruit, oats, whole grains and lean meats.
The best weight gainer products help you achieve your goals by supplementing and beefing up your diet. However, other great weight gainer products may help by increasing your performance in the gym. Learn about the different weight gainer products and how they work below:
The Best Weight Gainer Protein and Weight Gainer Shakes: Calorie-Rich Nutrition
The best weight gainer shakes and weight gainer proteins pack in the calories in doses that contain balanced macronutrient content. You’ll get a hefty helping of protein, carbs, and even some fats to help you bulk up. This type of weight gainer is ideal for anyone looking to gain weight but can be especially useful for athletes. Because weight gainer and protein shakes typically include a decent amount of protein, weight-lifters and gym goers can forgo their usual protein powders and use these instead. That being said, protein powders, in general, are great muscle building supplements that can also be used to help gain weight in general.
Products specifically designed for weight gain, however, will make it easier for you to put on those elusive pounds. What are some good products to try?
Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition
The Serious Mass high protein weight gain powder line holds the first, second, fourth and fifteenth bestseller spots on Amazon for weight gainers. However, the most popular flavors are chocolate and chocolate peanut butter. Packing in a whopping 1270 calories per 2-scoop serving, Serious Mass can supply over half of the average person’s calories per day!
Highlights
- 1270 calories per serving
- 50 grams of protein per serving
- 250 grams of carbohydrates per serving
- 25 vitamins and minerals
- Best served with water or milk and mixed in an electric blender
- Dissolve 1 serving of powder in 24 oz. of water or milk
- Great reviews
Ingredients
Maltodextrin, Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate, Egg Albumen, Sweet Dairy Whey), Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Vitamin and Mineral Blend (Dipotassium Phosphate, Magnesium Aspartate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Zinc Citrate, Beta Carotene, d-Calcium Pantothenate, d-alpha Tocopheryl Succinate, Selenomethionine, Copper Gluconate, Ferrous Fumarate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Chromium Polynicotinate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Molybdenum Amino Acid Chelate, Cholecalciferol, Potassium Iodide, Cyanocobalamin), Medium Chain Triglycerides, Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Modified Food Starch, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Tocopherols), Lecithin, Salt, Sucralose, and Acesulfame Potassium.
Who Makes It
Optimum Nutrition is a very large USA-based sports nutrition company. It is part of Glanbia, a global nutrition group. Optimum Nutrition (ON) has been operating since 1986 and was acquired by Glanbia in 2008. ON is a well-recognized brand sold in grocery stores, retail stores, fitness centers and gyms around the world! The company is especially known for their whey protein powder.
The Bottom Line
ON’s Serious Mass weight gainer protein powders are some of the best on the market. For a reasonable price, you can get a product that’s full of protein, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals. It’s easy to see from the ingredient list that the carbohydrates are mainly from maltodextrin, which isn’t ideal. It’s a highly processed starch and a whole grain would be preferable. However, the overall value of the product, it’s delicious taste, quality proteins and happy customers suggest it’s one of the best weight gainer products available.
This product for protein shakes weight gainer is another winning product. Each serving size is four scoops and packs in 650 calories and 32 grams of protein. Customers using this product report that they are able to gain weight while taking the powder. Overall, it appears to be a quality product and has made its way up to the number 3 bestsellers spot for weight gainer on Amazon.
Highlights
- 650 calories per serving
- 32 grams of protein per serving
- Great reviews
- Dissolve 1 serving of powder in 16 oz of water or milk
- Contains a healthy dose of over 22 vitamins and minerals
Ingredients
Maltodextrin, Milk Protein Isolate, Calcium Sodium Casinate (Milk), Non Dairy Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Maltodextrin, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk Derivative), Mono and Diglycerides, Tocopherols), Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Soluble Corn Fiber, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Canola Oil, Whey Protein Isolate (Milk),Vitamin A Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Cholecalciferol, DL-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium, Ferrous Fumarate, Phosphorus, Potassium Iodide, Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Copper Gluconate, Chromium Chloride, Sodium, Potassium, Potassium Chloride, Inulin, Micellar Casein (Milk), Whey Protein Concentrate (Milk), Potassium Bicarbonate, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Whey Protein Hydrolysate (Milk), Calcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Lactoferrin (Milk)
Who Makes It
The Muscle Milk brand is made by CytoSport, an American company that manufactures sports nutrition products and supplements. Begun in 1998, the company was an initiative of a father/son team. The brand is well-known in the USA and Canada.
The Bottom Line
One of the best weight gainer protein powders out there, this product fulfills its promise. With the calories provided through the shake, you’ll be putting on mass quickly. If you work out, you’ll most likely gain muscle. The product is known by customers for its good flavor and impressive results. Although maltodextrin is once again one of the main ingredients, it does have a solid base of vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Insider Tip! Looking for something a bit more natural? If you want to skip the long ingredient lists, you can try Naked Mass. With a 3 ingredient list, it simply contains whey, casein and organic maltodextrin from tapioca. There’s even a flavorless option! For those who want to go natural, Naked Mass is likely the best weight gainer protein powder to try.
How to Use Weight Gainer Shakes and Protein
There are some best practices to follow for using the best weight gainer protein products. By following these tips you can make sure you’ll get optimal results:
Use them as snacks. Ideally, you’ll be eating 3 healthy meals a day. Your weight gainer shake should be used as a snack in between meals that will give you a great boost of calories. Remember, to gain weight, you need to consume more than you usually do, so continue to eat as normal, or more than normal if possible!- Use milk or make a smoothie. Rather than mixing up your shakes with water, use milk! This will add calories to your drink. You can also make it smoothie style and add in a banana, some oats or a nut butter to really pack in the calories. Some people even throw in a tablespoon of olive oil which will add on another 120 calories that you probably won’t even notice.
- Take it before bed. If you can’t take your weight gainer protein powder or it makes you too full for your meals, consider having it in the evening. This will give you a full belly overnight.
- Do strength training. Some people think that they shouldn’t exercise when trying to gain weight. This is not true at all! In fact, exercise, especially strength training, can help make sure you gain muscle instead of fat. Especially in combination with the proteins in your weight gainer shake, working out will help you build muscle. Also, remember that exercise can boost your appetite to make sure you’re hungry for extra snacks and shakes.
Weight Gainer Pills: An Easy Solution
Do you struggle with having the time and organization to remember to pack your weight gainer shake on a daily basis? Or perhaps you’re too tired at the end of the day to put together a protein shake or smoothie. There are also some weight gainer pills on the market that can help you achieve your goals in gaining weight. But, what are the best weight gainer pills?
Quite frankly, there are some real money-wasting weight gainer pills out there. So, beware when shopping and always check customer reviews so that you can avoid these duds. We’ve sorted through the many weight gainer pills out there and found some winners. Check out the best weight gainer pills below:
No Bull Creatine Capsules By Raw Barrel
Amazon’s choice for “weight gainer pills”, these creatine pills contain 100% pure creatine monohydrate. This is a powerful muscle-building supplement used by many athletes and fitness enthusiasts to help them build muscle. While this product might not help you gain weight on its own, it can help you boost your performance if you lift weights. This means it will be easier for you to build more muscle.
Highlights
- 100% creatine monohydrate
- 4200 mg per serving
- Creatine is proven in studies to help build muscle
Ingredients
Creatine Monohydrate and gelatin
Who Makes It
Raw Barrel is a US company based in Florida, but also has an office in the UK. The company sells a variety of sports nutrition supplements, all of which have good reviews on Amazon.
The Bottom Line
If you’re into weightlifting, these supplements in combination with a bulked up diet or some protein powder might just do the trick. These pills will only likely make a difference in your muscle gains if you are working out. That’s because they’re mainly performance enhancers. But, the harder you work your muscles, the more they grow. So, the science behind them is sound. You’ll just have to hit the weights if you want to see results with these pills. The best part about the pills is that there are no ingredients or fillers in them. As the name suggests, there’s “no bull” when you buy these, just pure creatine monohydrate.
Real Muscle Builder by Modern Man Products
This capsule offered by Modern Man Products promises to help you use the calories you already consume in food to make muscle. In addition, it claims that scrawny men can achieve gains by taking these pills.
Highlights
- Contains creatine, known to build muscle
- Great customer reviews
Ingredients Niacin, Vitamin B6, Creatine HCL, AGMAPure, Alanine Propionyl L-Carnitine, Rhaponticum Carthamoides, Ajuga Turkestanica, S- (2-Boronethyl) L-Cysteine, R-Lipoic Acid, Epicatechin, Laxogenin, Naringin, gelatin, Dicalcium phosphate, Magnesium Stearate, FD&C Red #40, FD&C Green #3, Silica
Who Makes It
Modern Man Products is a health and sports supplement company that, as expected, focuses on men. There’s not a lot of information available about this company. The good news is that customer reviews on Amazon are generally positive.
The Bottom Line
This product offers a supplement that’s likely best used alongside weightlifting. Customers rave about the product and claim they’ve been able to gain weight and muscle easily. However, if you’re not into weight lifting, you may want to opt for one of the best weight gainer shakes or protein powders instead.
Best Weight Gainer for Men and Women
Women and men have different needs. You may be wondering if there’s an ideal best weight gainer shake for women or a weight gainer product especially recommended for men. The truth is, it probably depends more on your lifestyle, body weight and goals than on your sex.
The best weight gainer for skinny guys who go to the gym may actually be a plan that involves weight gainer pills, shakes and a solid meal plan. However, for guys at a normal weight looking to bulk up, the simple addition of a protein powder or muscle building supplement may do the trick as long as they’re hitting the gym.
What about women? The same is generally true for women. The best weight gainer shake for women could easily be one of the options listed above. Both Serious Mass by Optimal Nutrition and Gainer by Muscle Milk are great choices that will help anyone gain weight. For women who are already hitting the gym and doing weight training workouts, a simple protein powder can also help.
Weight gainer protein powders and shakes are specially created for those who want to gain weight. They pack in more calories than other protein powders. So, if you are underweight and really need to move up, these are the best weight gainer choice for you.
How to Pick the Best Weight Gainer for You: 5 Easy Steps
Your plan for weight gain should involve a combination of lifestyle changes. Part of that plan will involve a quality weight gainer product. Here are the steps that can help you determine what product to choose:
- Make a Goal Weight: Your goal weight will show you how far you have to go. Do you want to move up 20 lbs, 30 lbs or just a few? The more weight you want to gain, the more calories you’ll want from a weight gainer product, making shakes and protein powders your top choice. If you’re aiming at the lighter side, a muscle-building creatine weight gainer could be enough to get you to your goal weight.
- Make an Exercise Plan: Are you a jogger? Or perhaps you like to do workout videos at home? Or are you a serious gym enthusiast who lives for leg day? The more lifting you do, the more products like weight gainer pills will help. However, you may want to take them in addition to weight gainer shakes so that you can bulk up. If you aren’t into weightlifting, opt for one of the best weight gainer shakes or protein powders.
- Make a Meal Plan: The more calories you get from meals, the fewer you’ll need to add with weight gainer shakes. That means if you work out a lot, you may opt for just the pills. If you struggle to eat enough though, the shakes and powders are best for you.
- Check Customer Reviews: When purchasing any supplement, reviews are a great way to know what to expect. If the majority are positive, you can purchase with confidence.
- Make Your Final Choice: Based on what you’ve determined in the previous questions, you should know what to do next.
Have you successfully gained weight using a weight gainer? Tell us what product you used and any tips you have in the comments!