The 7 Best Weight Gainers for Skinny Guys (2023)

Are you one of those skinny guys who struggle to put on weight?

You spend hours in the gym and eat as much as you can, and yet, despite all of your hard work, you are not seeing any significant results.

Unfortunately, for hard gainers, lifting weights and eating a healthy diet can only do so much… and that’s where using an effective weight gainer fits in.

Choosing the right mass gainer can be intimidating… But, don’t fret: We’ve done the research and, below, compiled a list of the 7 best weight gain supplements for skinny guys.

If you just want to know which weight gainer we think is the best, that distinction goes to Mass Gainer by Transparent Labs.

It combines 750 clean calories with 53 grams of protein and 110 grams of carbohydrates for a delicious snack or lean meal replacement.

To see the others, read on!

The 7 Best Weight Gain Supplements for Skinny Guys

1. Mass Gainer – Transparent Labs
2. Home Made – Axe & Sledge
3. Mass Gainer – Crazy Bulk
4. Vegan Naked Mass – Naked Nutrition
5. Extreme Mass – NutraBio
6. Naked Mass – Naked Nutrition
7. Clean Meal Replacement – Kaged

Here’s a comparison chart of their key characteristics and where your money is going.

Mass Gainer – Transparent Labs

The best weight gainer for skinny guys.

Transparent Labs’ Mass Gainer is considered one of the best mass gainers and boasts nearly 800 nutrient-dense calories per serving – making it a lot easier to attain the high amount of calories hard gainers need for optimal muscle growth and weight gain.

Mass Gainer’s key ingredients include:

• 100% grass-fed whey protein concentrate
• clean carbohydrates (17 g of sugar per serving)
• healthy fats
• creatine monohydrate

Each of its 15 servings provides 10 calories, 0.7 g of protein, and 1.4 g of carbs for $5.33 per serving.

With a 2:1 carb-to-protein ratio, it’s the perfect whey protein supplement for hard gainers with high energy needs.

Pros

• No artificial sweeteners
• No artificial coloring
• No artificial preservatives
• Gluten-free and non-GMO

cons

• At $80 per container, it is on the more expensive side

Home Made – Axe & Sledge

Best weight gainer for skinny guys with whole food ingredients

Axe and Sledge’s Homemade Whole Food Meal Replacement uses only premium, whole-food-based ingredients which include:

• whey protein isolate
• whey protein concentrate
• egg white protein
• brown rice protein
• pea protein

It’s formulated with low-glycemic carbohydrates (whole-grain oat flour and sweet potato) which help prevent spikes in insulin levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Homemade also boasts a good dose of healthy fats that incorporates medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), while added digestive enzymes and fiber boost nutrient absorption and gut health.

Each of its 25 servings provides 10 calories, 0.6 g of protein, and 0.6 g of carbs and is a very cost-effective option at only $3 per serving.

With a 1:1 carb-to-protein ratio, this is a great mass gainer for hard gainers who want to increase their lean muscle mass without having to worry about picking up unwanted fat.

Pros

• Made from whole-food ingredients
• Contains medium chain triglycerides (MCTs)
• Only $3 per serving

Cons

• At $75 per container, it is costly

Mass Gainer – Crazy Nutrition

Best for an even balance of protein and carbs

Crazy Bulk’s Mass Gainer is another preferred weight gainer for skinny guys.

It’s packed with proteins (to help increase size and muscle mass and speed up recovery) from different sources which include:

• whey protein concentrate
• milk protein concentrate
• MCT oil powder

It also has added digestive enzymes to improve nutrient absorption, aid digestion, reduce stomach bloating and avoid blood insulin spikes.

Each of its 20 servings provides 5 calories, 0.4 g of protein, and 0.6 g of carbs for $4.50 per serving.

With a 1:1.4 carb-to-protein ratio, Mass Gainer is a great option for skinny guys who want to gain weight without the added body fat.

Pros

• Does not contain maltodextrin
• Added ingredients to aid digestion and nutrient absorption
• Contains fewer carbs than other mass gainerscons
• The most expensive option at $90 per container
• Contains milk-based products which can be allergenic
• Not for vegans

Vegan Naked Mass – Naked Nutrition

Best vegan weight gainer for skinny guys

Vegan Naked Mass is the best mass gainer for skinny guys who want to go the plant-based lactose-free route.

Vegan Naked Mass contains the most calories per serving (versus other mass gainers) and is great for athletes who find it difficult to eat a surplus of calories to gain weight.

Its formulation, which aids muscle growth and helps increase muscle mass, includes:

• pea protein
• brown rice protein
• natural complex carbohydrates
• organic maltodextrin
• all nine essential amino acids

Vegan Naked Mass provides 19 calories, 0.8 g of protein, and 3.8 g of carbs per serving ($5.91 per serving).

With a 1:5 protein-to-carb ratio, this is one of those weight gainers that provides the ideal blend of protein and carbs to promote muscle growth and is perfect for the hard gainer that needs loads of energy.

Pros

• No artificial sweeteners
• No artificial additives
• Produced through sustainable farming practices

Cons

• Very costly at $5.91 per serving

Extreme Mass -NutraBio

NutraBio’s Extreme Mass is one of the cleanest and highest-quality mass gainers for skinny guys looking to gain lean muscle mass.

Its key ingredients include:

• whey protein concentrate
• micellar casein
• 12 g of branched-chain amino acids

The whey protein concentrate and micellar casein blend, delivered in a 70:30 ratio, provides muscles with an immediate supply of protein while slowly releasing additional protein into the body for up to seven hours.

It uses digestive-resistant maltodextrin which prevents blood sugar levels from spiking and the conversion of sugars to fat. This also ensures enhanced glycogen replenishment, slowly breaking down glucose and supplying a controlled, time-released stream of energy for up to two hours.

Extreme Mass is a very cost-effective weight gainer (at $3.70 per serving) and provides 11 calories, 0.9 g of protein, and 1.7 g of carbs per serving.

With a 1.9:1 carb-to-protein ratio, NutraBio’s Extreme Mass is perfect for skinny guys who want to build muscle without gaining fat.

Pros

• Cost-effective at $3.70 per serving
• Contains premium protein and quality carbs
• Low in sugar (5 g per serving)

Cons

• Not vegan-friendly

Naked Mass -Naked Nutrition

Naked Nutrition’s Naked Mass is another great mass gainer for skinny guys who want to take full advantage of animal-based proteins in their muscle-building eating plan.

Naked Mass’s unique blend of ingredients includes:

• whey protein
• casein
• organic maltodextrin
• natural complex carbohydrates

Naked Mass provides protein that is digested in multiple phases leading to sustained muscle recovery and increasing lean muscle mass.

It delivers 19 calories, 0.7 g of protein, and 3.6 g of carbs per serving, at $6.36 per serving.

At a carb-to-protein ratio of 5:1, this supplement is the perfect choice for skinny guys that have high energy and calorie needs.

Pros

• No artificial sweeteners
• No artificial additives
• Contains no growth hormones

Cons

• At $6.36 per serving, this is the most expensive option
• Not suitable for those who are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy.
• Not vegan-friendly

Clean Meal – Kaged

Kaged’s Clean Meal is the best mass gainer for skinny guys who do not want to break the bank.

Clean Meal contains:

• whey protein isolate
• quinoa
• Swedish oats
• coconut palm
• 21 micronutrients

It contains 6.5 g of branched-chain amino acids per serving and claims to offer up to 123% better amino acid absorption. Its 21 vitamins and minerals promote optimal health, physical performance, and digestion.

Clean Meal is ideal for a snack replacement between meals and provides 5 calories, 0.6 g of protein, and 0.4 g of carbs at an affordable $2.50 per serving.

With a 1:0.7 carb-to-protein ratio, this is an excellent weight gainer for skinny guys who want the muscle without the additional body fat.

Pros

• Third-party tested for quality and safety
• Does not contain maltodextrin
• Best lower-calorie weight gainer supplement

Cons

• Low in carbs and calories

How To Choose a Weight Gainer Supplement

This section will cover what to look for when considering a weight gain supplement.

Good qualities to look for:

Protein content

If you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight, you should focus on picking up the right type of weight – in the form of muscles. Your weight gainer should, therefore, contain a good amount of high-quality, muscle-building protein sources such as whey protein isolate, grass-fed protein, and WCP80.

Choose weight gainers that contain at least 25 g of protein per serving.

Carbohydrate content

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your body and help you power through your workouts.

Opt for both slow- and fast-releasing carbohydrates in your mass gainer to ensure that your body has a constant supply of energy during and after your workout.

Calorie content

To see any significant weight gain you need to consume more calories than you burn daily and, therefore, should choose a weight gainer that meets your personal calorie goals.

Guys who struggle to pick up lean muscle mass almost always struggle to consume a lot of calories throughout the day. Using a weight gainer with a high-calorie content will ensure that you attain and even exceed your daily calorie targets, helping you reach your weight-gain targets.

Taste and flavor

Choose a supplement that tastes good and is easy to digest. Remember, you’ll be drinking your weight gainer daily, so make sure it’s something you’ll enjoy consuming.

Poor qualities to look out for:

Poor manufacturing

Steer clear of mass gainers made in a manufacturing facility that doesn’t follow good manufacturing processes.

Underdosed mass gainers

Avoid mass gainers that are underdosed – there’s no use in buying a mass gainer that does not supply you with the much-need nutrients in the correct quantities needed to build muscle.

Consider what you’re paying for

How many calories, grams of protein, and grams of carbs are you getting per dollar?

How much does each serving cost?

It comes down to what your priorities are.

• If you don’t care about consuming a lot of carbs and just want to drastically increase your caloric intake, then make the number of calories you consume your priority.If this is the case, Naked Nutrition’s Naked Mass with its 1,360 calories per serving is a good choice. If you’re vegan, go with Vegan Naked Mass (1,230 calories per serving).
• If you want a more balanced blend of proteins or carbs, even if you sacrifice some calories, go with Crazy Nutrition’s Mass Gainer (1.4:1 carb-to-protein ratio) or Axe & Sledge’s Home Made (1:1 carb-to-protein ratio).
• If you don’t mind the extra carbs, especially if you have a busy lifestyle, which means you’ll burn off the extra carbs in no time, try NutraBio’s Extreme Mass (2:1 carb-to-protein ratio) or Transparent Labs’ Mass Gainer (2.2:1 carb-to-protein ratio).
• The most cost-effective options are NutraBio’s Extreme Mass ($3.70 per serving) and Axe & Sledge’s Home Made ($3.00 per serving).

Know your weight gain goals

It all comes down to hitting your macros.

Before investing in a weight gainer, you need to ask yourself some questions to find one that is right for you and will meet your goals:

• How many extra calories do you want to consume, and at what price? Our reference chart below can help you determine exactly what you need.

• Do you care where those calories come from?
  • Some calories come from protein and others from carbs. The supplement you choose might have one or the other, or both.
• You should opt for the supplement that helps you hit your macros. Typically this would be a weight gainer like Naked Mass, however, if you are getting enough calories with your diet, then a protein powder might be the way to go.
• If a clean nutrient profile is important to you, brands like Transparent Labs and Naked Nutrition do third-party testing to make sure they meet compliance levels for heavy metals, banned substances, etc. You can view their certificates on their website. That’s why we included both brands in our list of the best protein powders without heavy metals.

Setting the Record Straight on Weight Gain Supplements

Gaining weight requires a caloric surplus

You won’t necessarily pick up “good weight” if you binge on unhealthy, but calorie-rich foods. Eating processed foods, to up your calorie intake, will do you more harm than good.

Processed or junk foods are filled with unhealthy ingredients, and are loaded with salt and cheap sugars that will lead to you picking up fat instead of muscle.

To promote healthy weight gain, opt for calorie-dense and protein-rich foods such as red meat, eggs, chicken, nuts, whole milk, and whole grains.

Protein supplements are a great source of quality calories and are also packed with good-quality proteins, healthy fats, and carbs that won’t cause havoc with your blood sugar or insulin levels.

Gaining weight requires adequate protein intake

Yes, your body will need protein for muscle growth and repair, but building muscle depends on much more than just increasing your protein intake.

To build muscle mass and strength, you will still need to lift weights (to push your muscle beyond their normal levels of resistance), do resistance training and consume more calories than you burn off.

More importantly, also, is that your muscle needs the energy to lift those heavy weights – which is where consuming a mass gainer supplement with a good amount of high-quality carbohydrates fits into your mass gain strategy.

BCAAs and EAAs don’t help you gain weight

Yes, supplementing your diet with BCAAs and EAAs may help but, if you are following a balanced diet, your body will receive the required amount of BCAAs and EAAs it needs to build muscle.

It can be overkill and a waste of money to additional buy BCAA and EAA supplements if you already consume sufficient amounts of high-quality protein.

Should you however see that you lack some of these, use a good mass gainer to make up for any protein shortfalls.

Multi-vitamins don’t help you gain weight

Yes, even though vitamins cannot directly increase your weight, as they hardly have any calories, they are needed to gain weight. Multi-vitamins play an important role in the chemical processes in your body and also help your body burn fat more easily.

A vitamin deficiency may lead to adverse weight effects, while it may also impair your body’s testosterone-producing abilities.

Creatine can help you work harder but doesn’t directly help you gain weight

Taking creatine monohydrate without doing the hard work won’t help you gain weight. You will still need to spend time in the gym to stress your muscles to help with size gains.

Creatine monohydrate in mass gainer supplements aids recovery, reduces muscle soreness, stimulates muscle growth, boosts strength, and can also make you weigh more due to water retention.

Carbohydrates are just calories

Carbohydrates won’t directly help you gain weight but, they are needed to fuel your muscles during an intense workout session.

Consuming additional carbs will also ensure that your body is fuelled after your workout and will help avoid your body breaking down muscles for fuel. It is recommended that you eat about 4-7 g/kg of body weight in carbohydrates per day when bulking up.

Benefits of Weight Gain Supplements

Mass gainers help you meet calorie standards

Lifting heavy weights burns immense amounts of calories and for hard gainers, it can be difficult to sustain those high-calorie needs by only following a balanced diet.

It can be difficult to eat large amounts of food and that’s where mass gainers can be used to your advantage: They are quick to prepare, and come in easy-to-consume portions.

Taking a mass gainer, with enough calories, will ensure that you attain the high-calorie standards needed to both maintain new muscle but also build new muscle tissue.

Mass gainers are very cost-effective

It can be challenging to shop for, prepare and consume the large amounts of food that you’d need to keep up with the growing demands of getting bigger.

Red meat, eggs, and vegetables can be expensive, and because of the large amount you’ll need to consume to pack on weight, will become costly over the long term.

Mass gainers, because of their smart formulations, pack all of your nutrient requirements into a small, easy-to-drink portion, which can help you keep your food costs to a minimum.

Mass gainers avoid unhealthy cravings

When bulking up your body will need a lot more fuel than normal which will inevitably cause cravings throughout the day. Before grabbing a pizza or chocolate bar, when hunger strikes, a quick protein shake is the perfect solution to combat cravings.

Instead of flooding your bloodstream with processed sugars and unhealthy calories a mass gainer will ensure that you receive your nutrients in just the right proportions – enough proteins to help with muscle repair and growth, and enough carbs to fuel your muscles.

Mass gainers help you recover faster

All the hours spent in the gym lifting heavy weights will see your muscles put under immense pressure, increasing the need for quick and proper recovery.

Mass gainers contain specially-selected ingredients, such as creatine monohydrate and L-Glutamine, that are essential for reducing muscle soreness, and muscle recovery and growth.

Mass gainers help you stay lean

Because of their well-balanced formulations, if used correctly, a weight gainer supplement can help you achieve and maintain your desired weight.

They provide all your protein requirements to pack on muscle, while the carbohydrates in mass gainers provide you with the correct amount of sugar for your energy needs.

Choosing the right mass gainer will aid in building muscle, which boosts your fat-burning abilities, keeping off unnecessary fat.

Weight Gain Tips

If you are a skinny guy who wants more tips on how to gain weight, continue reading.

Use a macro tracker

Keeping track of all the proteins, carbs, fats, and calories you consume can be a challenge, and that’s where using a macro tracker can come in handy.

Macro trackers are easy-to-use and will help you avoid consuming too little or too much of each of the macros.

It can be a valuable tool in your weight gain journey and is handy for dialing into your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE).

Calculate your TDEE

Calculating your TDEE is easy and knowing this value is half the battle won.

If you know your TDEE it will be easier to gauge how many calories you need to consume daily. Eating above your TDEE by about 300-500 calories per day will help you gain weight sustainably.

Lift heavy weights

The harder you work your muscles, the better they will grow.

Muscle growth happens in response to the millions of small tears experienced in the muscle tissue when you lift weights – the growth seen is all those small tears filling up with amino acids during the recovery phase.

Choose heavy weights and keep your reps in the range of 5-10 to continuously promote recovery which boosts the increase in muscle size.

Do compound lifts

Compound lifts, where you combine a range of movement, target several muscle groups during one lift and is more effective than isolation exercises.

For example, dumbbell curls only target one muscle group, while compound lifts, like squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, and bench presses work several major muscle groups at a time, which boosts the production of testosterone.

This also ensures that several muscle groups are worked at a time, leading to maximum muscle growth.

Keep cardio to a minimum

Cardio tends to increase the amount of body fat burned but, seeing that you are a hard gainer, losing fat is not of concern.

Rather focus on weight training, lifting heavy and doing compound lifts, to boost your muscle mass.

Get enough rest

Because of the amount of stress caused by weight training, skinny guys should rest a lot more between sets and on off days, to help their muscles recover.

Getting 8 hours of sleep would also do your body wonders, as it is during sleep that your body has time to repair damaged muscle, which leads to size increases.

Follow a balanced diet

Design an eating plan and try to eat every 2 to 3 hours to ensure that your muscles receive a constant supply of protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, and fiber.

Your diet plan should see that you stay in a calorie surplus, meaning you eat more calories than normal which helps your body recover and muscles grow.

Consume enough protein to get in a positive nitrogen balance to help boost muscle growth and choose low-glycemic quality carbohydrates to fuel your body.

Taking in sufficient amounts of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats will ensure the continual production and maintenance of a high blood testosterone level.

FAQs about Weight Gainers

About Kyle Risley

Kyle Risley founded Lift Vault in 2016 to make finding great powerlifting programs easier. Since then, the site has grown to include hundreds of programs for strength, bodybuilding, Olympic weightlifting, and more. He currently lives in Massachusetts and continues to compete in powerlifting.