6 Best Weight Gainers For Women in 2023

• Suitable for Vegans: No
• Flavors: Double Chocolate, Vanilla Custard
• Calories per Serving: 650
• Carbs per Serving: 82g
• Protein per Serving: 60g
• Carb-to-Protein Ratio: ~1.33:1
• Number of Servings: 14
• Serving Size: 165g
• Price per Serving: ~$5.76
• Company Founded: 1986
• Recommended by Athletes: Taylor Fritz, Justin “Jets” Jefferson, Morgan Willett

The runner-up on our list of women’s weight gainers is from the iconic supplement brand Optimum Nutrition. With a solid micro breakdown as well as a slightly lower calorie count, this supplement closely rivals Transparent Labs at the top of our list. Let’s take a closer look.

This is one of the lower-calorie options on our list at only 650 calories per serving. It also has the lowest carb-to-protein ratio on our list, which is ideal for maximizing protein intake. It has 60g of protein per serving and 82g of carbs.

Unlike Transparent Labs, Optimum has a fairly in-depth micro breakdown. You’ll be getting a solid amount of all sorts of different vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, Vitamin B12, Iron, and Calcium. This makes Optimum more suitable as a complete meal replacement supplement.

This supplement only comes in the same 2 basic flavors as Transparent Labs: chocolate and vanilla. Another minor downside is that this product is made with several artificial ingredients if this matters to you.

Finally, although these 2 supplements are very equal, the main reason Transparent Labs took the top spot on our list is price. Optimum is slightly more expensive at ~$5.76 per serving compared to Transparent Labs’ ~$5.33.

Yes, if you’re a woman looking to put on some weight struggling to get enough calories in, then a weight gainer may be the perfect supplement for you.

As long as they’re taken in moderation as part of a healthy diet, then weight gainers should be completely safe for most women. They become less safe when they’re used to put someone in an excessive caloric surplus.

The ideal caloric surplus for lean weight gain is between 250-500 calories per day. However, you’ll want to closely monitor changes in weight to adapt caloric intake to your needs. If you’re already reaching this amount with your regular diet and adding significantly more calories by weight gainers, you will begin to put on weight quicker than you may want. This can quickly lead to obesity which is closely linked to conditions like Type 2 Diabetes.

Because of this, we recommend women only take as much mass gainer as they need to reach a moderate caloric surplus. Otherwise, they may not be as beneficial and may end up being downright dangerous.

There are several factors that you’ll want to consider when looking for a high-quality weight gain product for females. These include the calories, the carb-to-protein ratio, as well as micros and additional ingredients. We’ve broken these down in more detail below!

On average, women need less total calories per day than men to gain weight. Because most weight gainers were formulated for men, women should stick to lower-calorie options. This is why the majority of products on our list are around the 600-750 calorie range.

Using a more moderate weight gainer will also help ensure you’re not eating in too high of a surplus. While gainers with 1000+ calories per serving will be suitable for some women, for most this will lead to too high of a surplus and may cause an unwanted amount of weight gain. Because of this, we recommend either splitting up your gainer into multiple servings or choosing a product with a more moderate calorie content.

Another metric to consider is the ratio of carbs to protein in your weight gainer. Mass gainers are a good way to optimize protein intake, so find a supplement that has a good ratio of carbs to protein for your goals. Typically, women trying to put on muscle should get 0.5-0.8g of protein per pound of body weight daily. A single serving of mass gainer will often be enough to get close to your daily protein goals.

Keep in mind that carbs are also important for optimal muscle gain, and with same amounts of protein the higher the ratio of carbs to protein, the more caloric the supplement will be. With that being said, carb to protein ratio is not as important as total calories for weight gain. Depending on how much protein is in a supplement, it could have a high carb to protein ratio and still be relatively low calorie. So, always be sure to check total calories per serving when making a decision!

Because mass gainers are so high-calorie, ideally you’ll want them to contain a solid micronutrient breakdown. This will ensure the supplement is nutritionally complete as well as being high in calories. This is especially beneficial if you struggle to eat enough nutrient-dense foods anyway.

On top of this, consider if you want a mass gainer with additional active ingredients. While GNC is the only supplement on our list to contain ergogenic ingredients like Betaine and Creatine, they can be a beneficial inclusion for improving exercise performance.

Finally, consider the full ingredient breakdown including things like artificial sweeteners. While there’s no real reason to avoid artificial ingredients within acceptable daily intake, some people prefer to buy all-natural supplements instead.

Using a mass gainer can quickly lead to rapid weight gain if used incorrectly. It’s also not a magic tool for putting on muscle. Here are a few tips for using mass gainers properly so you can get the most benefit from these supplements as possible.

For most women, the best way to gain weight is to eat in a moderate caloric surplus of 250-500 calories a day. Also, be sure that you’re performing consistent strength training to ensure you’re putting on muscle and not fat. It’s difficult to say how much muscle you’ll put on over time following this diet as everyone’s body is different. On average, it’s difficult for women to put on more than 1lb of fat free mass per month.

Start by considering how many total calories a day you’ll need to reach a surplus of 250-500 calories a day. Use an online calorie calculator to figure out your maintenance calories. Then, simply add 250-500 calories to this number depending on how fast you want to gain weight.

Tracking your calories will then make sticking to this number easier. There are plenty of useful apps available to help with this! Also, consistently monitor your weight to make sure you’re making progress in accordance with your goals.

We recommend getting the majority of your calories in through food and only using enough mass gainer to reach your daily calorie goal. One easy way to do this is to save your mass gainer for the last meal of the day, and only take as much as you need to reach a moderate surplus. You can easily split your mass gainer into smaller servings to make it fit your caloric needs!

As mentioned, we recommend trying to get most of your daily calories in through whole foods, and only using weight gainer when it's necessary to reach a surplus. This will help ensure you have an overall healthy diet, and will also make sure you’re not relying on mass gainers to put on weight.

Also, be flexible with your diet! Because you’re eating in a surplus, you have some more room to indulge in more high-calorie foods. While you shouldn’t go overboard, feel free to eat some richer treats alongside a base of healthy whole foods.

A common mistake both men and women make when bulking is trying to maximize their calorie intake to put on as much weight as possible. As mentioned above, eating too high of a caloric surplus can quickly lead to fat gain and obesity.

Reaching a super-high caloric surplus is even easier with a mass gainer. This is why we recommend only using mass gainers in moderation to reach a modest caloric surplus. Remember, the healthiest way to put on weight is slowly and consistently, so don’t overdo it.

Finally, make sure you’re using a mass gainer alongside a consistent regime of strength training. Eating in a caloric surplus will only lead to fat gain if you’re not also doing resistance training. We recommend following a program that hits every major muscle group at least once a week.

Also, consistency is key here. You won’t see progress overnight, so be patient. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see the results you want within a couple of weeks or months. Keep training and don’t give up – you’ll reach your goals eventually!