7 Best Weight Gainers for Skinny Guys in 2024

Are you a hard gainer struggling to put on weight? If you have a fast metabolism, or just struggle to eat enough throughout the day, putting on muscle can be a real challenge. A mass gainer for ectomorph body types can be highly beneficial for putting on muscle.

Keep reading to learn more about this supplement and the other best weight gain supplements for skinny guys available.

Top 7 Weight Gainers for Skinny Guys Reviewed

1. MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs – Top Pick
2. NutraBio Extreme Mass – Best Budget Pick
3. ALLMAX QuickMass – Best High-Protein Option
4. GNC AMP Mass XXX – Best Tasting Option
5. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass – Best High-Carb Option
6. Dymatize-Super-Mass-Gainer – Best in Calorie Density Option
7. Naked Weight Gainer Protein Supplement – Best Without Artificial Sweeteners

Product	Total	Macro’s Breakdown	Taste	Mixability	Label Transparency	Price/Quality
Transparent Labs	48.5	10	9.5	10	10	9
NutraBio	48	10	9.5	9	9.5	10
ALLMAX	47.5	10	9.5	9.5	10	8.5
GNC	47.5	10	9.5	9.5	9.5	9
Optimum Nutrition	46.5	9	9.5	9.5	10	8.5
Dymatize	46.5	9	9	9.5	10	9
Naked Nutrition	46	9.5	9	9	10	8.5

Starting our list, and the overall best mass gainer for skinny guys comes from Transparent Labs. Whether it’s protein powder, pre-workout, or a mass gainer, Transparent Labs consistently delivers quality. Let’s see how this earned its spot as the best weight gainer for men.

Similar to their protein powder, the protein in this product is made from grass-fed whey, which is healthier than regular dairy. Its carbohydrate content also comes from organic tapioca maltodextrin, which is a high-quality source of complex carbs.

Depending on the flavor, there’s 51-53g of protein per serving and 106-110g of carbs with 4-6g of fiber and 12g of sugar. Each serving will be about 730-750 calories.

One minor downside here is the product’s micronutrient breakdown. With such a high-quality product, you may want some added nutrition on top of all the calories. It’s worth noting that creatine monohydrate is included in the formula at 3g per serving. Keep in mind the standard dose is 3-5g per day.

This product only comes in 2 standard flavors: chocolate and vanilla. Like all of Transparent Labs products is made with 100% natural ingredients if this is important to you. Finally, although mass gainers can get quite expensive, this product is on the lower end of our list at about $5.33 per serving.

The next weight gainer for skinny guys on our list is the best budget pick, costing a fraction of some of the other choices. Let’s take a look at NutraBio’s Extreme Mass.

NutraBio has a similar macro breakdown to Transparent Labs, although at a slightly lower calorie count. The protein is made from a mix of whey concentrate and micellar casein, and the carbs are in the form of maltodextrin.

You can expect 53g of protein, and 99-100g of carbs depending on the flavor. The carb content includes 5g of fiber and 6g of sugar. Each flavor works out to about 650 calories, making it a slightly less caloric option than the product topping our list.

One major upside it has over Transparent Labs is its micronutrient content. It has a high content of all sorts of vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, Calcium, Vitamin B12, and Zinc. This makes it a more complete meal replacement drink, instead of just a strong source of protein and calories.

It appears the only flavor option available on Amazon is vanilla, but their site also has strawberry pastry and chocolate available. It’s worth noting this product contains the artificial sweetener sucralose if this is something you’d prefer to avoid. Finally, as mentioned this offers the best value for your money on our list at only about 3.67 per serving.

ext up on our list of weight gainer shakes for men is ALLMAX’s QuickMass. This lives up to its name being the first product on our list to top 1000 calories.

Its protein comes from a mix of whey concentrate, milk protein isolate, and whey isolate. Its carbs are from a mass complex proprietary blend that includes maltodextrin, waxy maize starch, sweet potato, oat fiber, and quinoa flour.

ALLMAX has the highest protein content of any product on our list with 64g per serving. It also has a solidly high carb content at 170 g per serving. There’s 4g of fiber and 12g of sugar per serving. This makes for a total of 1010 calories.

Like NutraBio, you can get a solid blend of micros alongside all the calories. It has a similar breakdown of vitamins and minerals giving you over 100% of the recommended daily value of some vitamins and minerals.

ALLMAX offers solid flavor variety with 5 different options to choose from. Keep in mind that it is formulated with artificial sweeteners if this is important to you. Finally, it comes at a similar price to Transparent Labs at about $5.99 per serving.

Next up on our list is GNC’s AMP Mass XXX, which offers some of the best active ingredient content on our list alongside excellent flavor. Let’s see how it stacks up against the rest of our list.

Its protein comes from a blend of whey concentrate, calcium caseinate, and soy isolate. Its carbs all come in the form of maltodextrin.

You’ll be getting a solid 50g of protein per serving, alongside 127-130g. There’s 6g of fiber as well as 14g of sugar. Its calorie total is between 780-800 depending on the flavor.

Like Transparent Labs, GNC has a fairly weak micro breakdown to pair with its high-calorie count. However, it does have a great set of active ingredients to help with performance. It contains 2.5g of creatine, which although low, would be beneficial alongside a standard daily dose of creatine. It is also the only supplement on our list to contain betaine at 2.5g of serving. The benefits of betaine include increased force production and increased endurance with consistent supplementation.

GNC offers decent flavor variety with 3 different options. It is made with artificial flavors if this is of concern to you. Finally, it’s also the most expensive option we’ve covered so far at ~$6.15 per serving.

If you’re looking for a mass gainer with the most carbs per serving, then you’ll want to check out Optimum’s Serious Mass shake. Let’s take a look at this ultra-high-calorie drink.

First, Optimum’s protein blend comes from a wide variety of sources including whey concentrate, calcium caseinate, and egg whites. Its carbs simply come from maltodextrin with a few added sugars as well.

You’ll get a fairly standard 50g of protein per serving, with an incredibly high 253-254g of carbs. It doesn’t have any fiber, but it does have the highest sugar content on our list so far with 20-30g per serving. It’s also the highest calorie shake we’ve covered so far with 1250-1260 per serving.

You will be getting a fairly solid micro breakdown in this product similar to NutriBio and Allmax. You’ll also be getting a decent dose of creatine, with 3g of monohydrate in each serving.

It has some of the best flavor variety on our list with 5 unique options to choose from. Like most of the products on our list, it is made with several artificial ingredients. Finally, this is one of the more expensive products on our list, with each serving will cost you around $6.26.

Next up, narrowly edging out Optimum for the most caloric shake on our list is Dymatize’s Super Mass Gainer. Let’s see how this weight-gain powder for men compares to the rest of our list.

Its protein comes in a blend of whey concentrate, isolate, milk isolate, and micellar casein. Its carb content comes from maltodextrin.

You’ll be getting 52g of protein per serving, and 245g of carbs for a similar ratio to Optimum’s powder. This product also has no fiber and a fairly high sugar content of 23g per serving. This works out to give Dymatize the highest calorie content on our list at 1280 calories per serving.

It does have a decent micro breakdown, although it’s not quite as complete as some of the other products on our list. It also contains creatine, but at a fairly small dose of 1g per serving. You should probably supplement with creatine separately to get all its benefits.

There’s fairly limited flavor variety, with chocolate and vanilla being your only options. It’s also made with several artificial ingredients which may be an issue to some. Finally, it comes around the average price for our list at $5.28 per serving.

Closing out our list of weight gainers for men is Naked’s Weight Gainer Protein Supplement. Not only is this a great choice for an all-natural supplement, it’s also the first product on our list with vegan-friendly options.

The dairy-based supplement gets its protein from whey concentrate and micellar casein. The vegan option uses peas and brown rice as its protein sources. Both supplement types use organic tapioca maltodextrin as their carb source.

For the chocolate dairy-based option, you’re looking at 50g of protein, 251g of carbs. There’s also 12g of fiber and 58g of sugar. This works out to 1360 calories. With the chocolate vegan option, you can expect 50g of protein and 237g of carbs. There’s 14g of fiber and 54g of sugar. It works out to 1280 calories per serving. Note that the different flavors have slightly different macros!

Neither the vegan nor dairy-based options have especially in-depth micro breakdowns. Neither of these supplements contains creatine or any other active ingredients either.

There’s limited flavor variety with both the dairy-based and vegan supplements coming in vanilla, chocolate, and unflavored. Naked is similar to Transparent Labs in that their supplements never have any artificial ingredients. You’re also getting excellent value for money here at only around $5.09 per serving for such a high-calorie supplement.

What Is a Weight Gainer and in What Cases Is It Needed?

A weight gainer is a type of protein supplement characterized by high carbohydrate/calorie content. As shown by our list, they will usually have roughly 50-60g of protein, 100-250g of carbs, and 600-1250 calories per serving. As you can tell by their name, these are supplements designed to help people easily get extra calories in and put on weight. Below we’ll be covering a couple of scenarios where a weight gainer may be helpful.

1. You’re Looking To Put On Weight Quickly

The main purpose of a mass gainer is to deliver a solid amount of protein and calories, which should help you put on weight. For people with fast metabolisms and those who need to eat very high calories, it can be a struggle to put on weight. This is why the added boost of calories from a mass gainer can be a valuable tool for putting yourself into a caloric surplus.

2. You Struggle to Eat Enough

Even if you’re not looking to put on a ton of weight, mass gainers can be beneficial if you just generally struggle to eat enough. If you’re having a hard time getting enough calories in to even maintain weight, a mass gainer is a convenient way to pad your diet and meet your daily calorie goals.

How to Choose the Best Weight Gainer for Skinny Guys?

There are several nutritional factors you’ll want to consider before deciding on a weight gainer to use. These mainly include the different macro contents you can find, which we’ll be breaking down below.

1. Consider the Amount of Carbohydrates per Serving

First, you need to understand the role of carbohydrates in a mass gainer. A high-carb diet is a convenient way to put on weight quickly, so many mass gainers will prioritize their carb content. By understanding your goals and current carbohydrate intake, you can decide if you want a supplement with moderate carb content (~100g/serving) or a higher carb content (~250g/serving).

2. Consider the Amount of Protein per Serving

Next, think about how much protein you’re getting in your diet, and how much you want to get from your mass gainer. While most have a fairly standard protein content of around 50g per serving, you can get a supplement with a higher protein content of 60g+. Keep in mind that protein is the most important macronutrient for stimulating muscle growth with 0.7-1g of protein per/lb of body weight a day being ideal.

3. Consider the Ratio of Carbohydrates to Protein

The ratio of carbs to protein is another factor to consider when buying a mass gainer. Some of the supplements on our list have as high as a 5:1 ratio, while others have a more modest 2:1. Assuming the same protein content, the higher the ratio, the more overall calories will be in the supplement.

4. Consider the Calories per Serving

This ties in with the point above. You’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough protein, as well as enough total calories to gain muscle. The more calories a supplement has per serving, the easier it will be to put on weight using it. Keep in mind that you can easily split higher-calorie supplements into multiple servings if they’re too high-calorie for you.

What Should Be Considered When You Use a Gainer?

1. Know What You Are Buying

Take a close look at the ingredients found in whichever mass gainer you choose. This includes what the carbs and proteins are being sourced from, as well as any additional ingredients.

Mass gainers usually will have their carbs sourced from maltodextrin, as this is a highly soluble and easily digested source of complex carbs. Also, fiber content is useful to look out for as it will help with digesting so many calories at once.

Find a protein source that matches up with your dietary preferences. Finally, decide if you’re ok with a supplement containing artificial sweeteners like sucralose.

2. Without an Excess of Calories, the Gainer Will Not Help You Gain Weight

Remember that although mass gainers are very high in calories, you won’t gain weight unless you’re in a caloric surplus. Even if you’re drinking mass gainer every day, it won’t make a difference if you’re not eating enough other food. Be sure to make your mass gainer just a part of a diet rich in other nutrient-dense foods.

3. Conditions for Rapid Fat Gain With Possible Health Consequences

Considering the last point, a mass gainer may also send you into a very high caloric surplus that will lead to rapid fat gain. Eating too many calories can quickly put you into an obese BMI range, which increases the likelihood of conditions like Type 2 diabetes. If you’re able to gain weight steadily without a mass gainer, these supplements are likely unnecessary for you.

Remember to have realistic expectations about muscle growth. It’s best to shoot for gaining a maximum of 0.5lb of body weight per week while bulking. Keep in mind that consistency is the most important factor and that there’s no rush to put on weight super fast!

What Is the Best Way to Use a Mass Gainer?

1. Create a Small to Moderate Calorie Surplus

Mass gainers will be best used to help you reach a caloric surplus between 250-500 calories. To determine what this looks like, find an online calorie calculator to find your maintenance calories. Keep in mind that these calculators can be inaccurate even up to 30%, so monitor your weight regularly to make sure you’re on pace

From there, use a mass gainer to help you reach an extra 250-500 calories on top of this depending on how fast you want to put on weight.

2. Build the Foundation of Your Diet With High-Energy-Dense Foods

It’s not a good idea to make mass gainer supplements the foundation of your diet. While they’re a convenient source of carbs and protein, they’re often not very nutritionally complete. Be sure you’re still eating plenty of high-quality nutritionally whole foods as the foundation of your diet. Remember that mass gainers are a supplement, meaning they should only be used as an addition to an otherwise complete diet.

3. Eat Enough Protein

Someone trying to put on muscle should shoot for a minimum 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight each day. For a 150lb person, we suggest a minimum of 105-150g of protein per day. Most of the mass gainers on our list will help you get a large portion of this protein out of the way. However, you’ll still need to eat adequate protein to make up the rest of this. Eat plenty of high-protein foods like meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and beans.

4. Use a Reduced Serving of Gainer From That Specified by the Manufacturer

As mentioned earlier, if a mass gainer has too many calories per serving for you, use a reduced serving! A good way to do this is to eat as much as you can throughout the day, and then finish your day with as much mass gainer as you need to reach your calorie goals. This will also help you maintain a diet primarily based around real foods, instead of relying on 1000+ calories a day from mass gainers.

It’s worth noting that some people need a very high amount of calories to gain weight (10,000+/day). If this is the case, then mass gainers are a great way to get in extra calories between meals. In this case, mass gainers can also be split up into multiple servings throughout the day for easier digestion.

5. Engage in Strength Training With a Progressive Overload

The truth is, you’re not going to put on significant muscle mass unless you’re performing resistance training and practicing progressive overload. Find a workout split and routine that hits every major muscle group at least once a week. Try to increase for example the weight, sets, and/or reps over time to progressively overload your muscles. This progression alongside an adequate protein intake and small caloric surplus is the key to growing serious muscles.

6. Be Patient and Persistent

Finally, weight gain is not something that’s going to happen overnight. You should try to put on mostly lean mass without too much fat. This means you’ll want to be putting on a maximum of 0.5lb a week for men. As long as you’re eating in a surplus and working out regularly, you should begin putting on weight. Stay consistent and results will add up significantly over time.

FAQ

Is Weight Gainer Good for Skinny Guys?

Yes, we recommend trying weight gain shakes for underweight males who struggle with reaching a caloric surplus. While your diet should still be largely made up of high-quality natural foods, weight gainers are an easy way to help you put on weight if you struggle to eat enough.

How to Eat 4,000 Calories a Day?

While mass gainers are a great supplement for eating 4,000 calories a day, you’ll need to also be eating a bunch of calorie-dense foods to hit this number. Alongside high-quality protein and carb sources, add more fats to your diet. Try incorporating more fat, nuts, nut butter, and some oils into your diet to help reach your calorie goals.

Are Weight Gainers Safe?

Yes, as long as they’re being used in moderation, weight gainers should be completely safe. Just be sure you’re not eating in too high of a caloric surplus which can lead to rapid fat gain and cause possible health issues. However, if they’re used responsibly, they can be a valuable tool for putting on lean muscle mass.

Conclusion

While they shouldn’t be the foundation of your diet, we recommend weight gain supplements for men who struggle to reach a caloric surplus. If you’re struggling to put on weight, then a mass gainer may be the perfect supplement for you.

While all the products on our list have their unique advantages, our top pick is MASS GAINER by Transparent Labs.

Do you have much experience using mass gainers? Any tips for getting some extra calories in? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Also read:

• Best Electrolyte Powder No Sugar
• Best Vegan Mass Gainer
• Best Weight Gainer for Women
• Does Mass Gainer Work
• How to Gain Weight With a Fast Metabolism
• Is Rice Good for Bulking
• Dirty Bulking
• Is Oatmeal Good for Building Muscle

References:

1. Brad Heins "Grass-fed cows produce healthier milk" University of Monnesota extension 2021
2. Richard B. Kreider "International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine" Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition volume 14, Article number: 18 (2017)
3.  Jenna M. Apicella "The Effect of Betaine Supplementation on Performance and Muscle Mechanisms" University of Connecticut May 7, 2011
4. Lisnawati, Naintina "Sport drink containing maltodextrin to improve physical performance of Soccer athletes" AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 2586, January 2023
5. "Health Risks" Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 
6. Everson A. Nunes "Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults" Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 20 February 2022
7. Photos are made by Torokhtiy Media Team