Best Proteins | Best Mass Gainers
When you’re on a mission to put on weight, you need a one-two punch of calories and protein. If you’re someone who struggles to put on weight, or who needs to gain it for a sport or a weight-classed competition, then you need both even more!
That’s when a mass gainer can be your best friend. Like the best protein shakes, mass gainers (also known as weight gainers or gainer shakes) are full of muscle-building amino acids and protein, but they also add carbs and other nutrients to maximize your calorie and macro intake.
Adding a high-quality mass-gainer powder can make a huge difference in your bulking regimen. Here are 10 of the best, according to our experts and community members.
The Best Mass Gainers
Best-Tasting Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Maltodextrin, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate
- Rating: 9.0 out of 10
- Reviews: 17
- Calories: 1,210
- Protein: 50g
- Carbs: 241g
- Sugar: 27g
- Fat: 6g
TrueGain earns the distinction of a 9.9 flavor rating, an almost unheard-of seal of approval. Not only that, it packs a hefty 1,210 calories for muscle maintenance and growth with a short, simple ingredient list.
Combined, these factors make TrueGain one of the best all-around mass gainers, and a great choice for those who are just starting out with gainers. Use it as a post-workout recovery shake, a snack between meals, and pre-bedtime muscle insurance.
Flavors: Chocolate(9.9)
Highest-Calorie Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Complex carbohydrate blend, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, micellar casein, hydrolyzed whey protein, milk protein, BCAAs
- Rating: 10 out of 10
- Reviews: 3
- Calories: 1,350
- Protein: 50g
- Carbs: 253g
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 17g
It stands to reason that a company known to be a fave of world-class strongman competitors and bodybuilders would make a rock-solid gainer. You can’t beat the macros of Up Your Mass XXXL 1350: 1,350 calories, 250 grams of complex carbs, and 50 grams of protein in every great-tasting serving.
Pro tip: Since a serving is 6 scoops, it’s easy to dial your serving size up or down based on your own personal body weight, goals, and preferences. Start with the tub, then refill it with the 12-pound bags to save money.
Flavors: Milk Chocolate (10), French Vanilla Crème (10), Cookies & Cream(no ratings)
Highest-Protein Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Carbohydrate blend, whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein, whey protein isolate, micellar casein, milk protein concentrate and isolate
- Rating: 8.5 out of 10
- Reviews: 139
- Calories: 1,100
- Protein: 56g
- Carbs: 192g
- Sugar: 18g
- Fat: 12g
Get ready to mutate with 56 grams of high-quality protein. Mutant Mass combines six types of protein to feed your muscles in the short, medium, and long term: whey concentrate, hydrolyzed whey, whey isolate, two types of milk protein, and casein.
This weight gainer also includes a solid amount of fiber from real food sources, such as sweet potatoes and rolled oats, to keep you carbed up and feeling good throughout your hardest training and bulking phase.
Flavors: Chocolate Fudge Brownie (9.6), Triple Chocolate (8.4), Strawberry Banana (8.1), Cookies & Cream(7.3)
Best Whey Blend Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, egg whites, sweet whey
- Rating: 8.5 out of 10
- Reviews: 1,152
- Calories: 1,250
- Protein: 50g
- Carbs: 252g
- Sugar: 20g
- Fat: 4.5g
Serious Mass is a legend in the bulking game. It combines the muscle-building qualities of whey with casein and egg whites to provide additional amino acids and protect against muscle breakdown over time, as these proteins take longer to digest and be absorbed than whey.
In addition, this gainer shake is fortified with high levels of vitamins and minerals. When you’re training hard you need more micronutrients, not just macronutrients, to fuel your bigger body and replenish what you sweat out and use up during heavy training. This formula helps ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need, not just the calories.
Flavors: Chocolate Peanut Butter (8.9), Chocolate (8.4), Banana (7.9), Vanilla (7.5), Strawberry(6.9)
Best Mass Gainer for Hardgainers
- Main ingredients: Maltodextrin, whey protein concentrate, milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate, whey protein hydrolysate, micellar casein
- Rating: 8.1 out of 10
- Reviews: 212
- Calories: 1,260
- Protein: 52g
- Carbs: 246g
- Sugar: 24g
- Fat: 9g
Sometimes the hardest thing about putting on weight is simply getting enough calories into your body, especially if you have a high metabolism or don’t have a huge appetite. Super Mass Gainer is here to help.
The shake tastes smooth, mixes well, and our reviewers say it’s very easy to drink. This is extremely helpful when you need to take in a lot of calories but just aren’t hungry. Crucially, each serving of the formula’s protein blend contains 5.2 grams of leucine, the branched-chain amino acid chiefly involved in turning on muscle protein synthesis.
Flavors: Gourmet Vanilla (8.4), Rich Chocolate (8.4), Cookies & Cream(7.8)
Best Lactose-Free Mass Gainer
- Main Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Ion exchange whey protein isolate
- Rating: 9.2 out of 10
- Reviews: 40
- Calories: 600
- Protein: 53g
- Carbs: 86g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fat: 5g
True to the Isopure line, Isopure Mass is a super clean, easy-to-drink formula, but with far more calories and carbs than the brand’s regular protein powders. This is a great choice if bulking has you feeling full and heavy all the time, or if you have a hard time with dairy.
Ion exchange whey protein isolate isn’t your average whey; it’s been stripped of fats and carbs and is designed to be entirely lactose free. It also means the shake isn’t too thick, so our customers say it’s extra chuggable. To increase the calorie count, blend it with peanut butter and honey.
Flavor: Dutch Chocolate(8.8)
Best Clean Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Carbohydrate blend, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, milk protein isolate, micellar casein
- Rating: 9.1 out of 10
- Reviews: 44
- Calories: 560
- Protein: 30g
- Carbs: 90g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 7g
It may taste like dessert and sugary breakfast cereal, but Clean Gainer is full of real food ingredients that fit your macros the clean way and give you plant-based benefits without having to break out the blender. The carbohydrates come from sources like organic quinoa and organic blueberry, while flaxseed, avocado, and MCTs punch up the healthy fats. Reviewers especially love the Chocolate Fudge flavor.
Flavors: Chocolate Fudge (9.4), Cinnamon Toast Cereal (8.5), Creamy Vanilla (8.2), Chocolate Peanut Butter (5.0), S’mores (4.0)
Best Meal Replacement Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Whey protein concentrate, calcium caseinate, milk protein isolate, whey protein isolate, micellar casein, hydrolyzed whey protein, egg whites, maltodextrin
- Rating: 9.1 out of 10
- Reviews: 591
- Calories: 710
- Protein: 50g
- Carbs: 90g
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 17g
True-Mass is another revered gainer by a trusted brand backed with hundreds of reviews. The highly rated flavors let you know by their names how decadent they taste. This is a shake you’ll look forward to.
To optimize gains, you should be eating healthy meals contain balanced amounts of all the macronutrients, not just protein. This formula has the right amounts of protein, carbs, and fat—plus plenty of fiber—to give your body what it needs to grow when you don’t have time to cook and eat.
Flavors: Chocolate Milkshake (9.2), Strawberry Milkshake (9.1), Vanilla Ice Cream (9.0), Cookies & Cream(7.5)
Best Value Mass Gainer
- Main ingredients: Maltodextrin, whey protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, whey protein concentrate, micellar casein, egg whites
- Rating: 8.1 out of 10
- Reviews: 22
- Calories: 810
- Protein: 50g
- Carbs: 133g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 10g
Results require consistency, and consistency requires time. This means if you’re looking to add appreciable weight, you’ll probably be going through more than one tub of a gainer, so you want to be sure you’re getting a good deal on each one.
Signature Mass Gainer is a great value to begin with, but gets even better since BodyFit members can stack extra discounts every day.
Unlike some other “value” mass gainers, Signature’s ingredients are solid and stand up to scrutiny. In addition to an ideal macronutrient profile with relatively low sugar content, the filler-free formula includes probiotics for digestive health support—always a plus when you’re bulking.
Flavors: Vanilla (8.1), Chocolate (no ratings)
How We Choose the Best Mass Gainers
There are two things that matter when you’re looking for a good gainer shake. One is the nutrient profile: Choose a formula that has the numbers you need to support your goal, not just a bunch of fillers and poor-quality ingredients. Yes, a gainer is far more decadent than a traditional protein shake, but the label shouldn’t make it feel like a candy bar in a glass.
The other important thing is taste. Gainers are there for you when you need nutrition but aren’t necessarily hungry, so the more appealing they are, the easier it will be to keep downing them every day. Plus, gainer serving sizes tend to be significantly larger than a normal 8-12-ounce shake, so one that doesn’t go down easily won’t cut it! The best gainers are treats you can look forward to; a reward for the hard work of sticking with your fitness plan.
Our picks are informed by our team of fitness pros—athletes, nutrition professionals, and editors—and backed up by reviews from the people who know gainer shakes the best: you! Our Bodybuilding.com community members are some of the most discerning and honest anywhere, and that’s why our ratings carry more weight—so to speak—than most online storefronts.
Should I Take a Mass Gainer?
Anyone can go to the gym and improve their fitness, but adding significant muscle mass to your body can be surprisingly difficult. When it comes down to it, it’s just hard to shovel in the ultra-high levels of nutrients and calories you need from food alone—and in the right ratio of protein, carbs, and fats to grow muscle and not just pack on body fat. If you’re lifting weights but not feeding your muscles adequately, they probably aren’t going to grow.
Weight-gainer shakes make it easy to gulp down a lot of calories very quickly. (So do milkshakes and soda, but they won’t give you the clean gains you’re after.) Supplementing a healthy, plentiful diet with a mass gainer is your best bet to make sure your body is working up to its muscle-building potential.
Just remember, a well-designed muscle-gain training program is essential to help put those calories to good use. These are the ones our community swears by:
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.