“What are the best mass gainers for hardgainers?” is an often sought out question. For good reason too, as there’s literally THOUSANDS of options top choose from.
Lucky for you, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on various mass gainers over the years. Some of them worked, but most didn’t and were filled with plain garbage.
That being said, a quality mass gainer is great for anyone trying to pack on lean muscle quickly.
After trying TONS of different options, I’ve narrowed down the list to the top 3 best mass gainers for hardgainers.
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
Best Mass Gainers For Hardgainers: Best/Cheap/Natty
I’ve narrowed down the list of the best mass gainers for hardgainers to three different categories.
The best mass gainer overall, the best cheap mass gainer, and a homemade mass gainer shake recipe for any guy who might be in a pinch, or just wants a natural weight gainer alternative.
If you’ve got the money, definitely go for the best option, as you’ll put on muscle the quickest.
But if you’re looking for the best gainer for beginners, then stick to the other two.
Here are the best mass gainers for hardgainers at a glance:
- Mutant Mass: Best Overall (Check Price On Amazon)
- Optimum Nutrition: Best For The Price (Check Price On Amazon)
- Homemade Mass Gainer Shake (Recipe Provided Below)
One thing to remember, mass gainers are GREAT and most skinny guys should use weight gainers in the beginning.
That being said, science has yet to create a mass gainer that will replace a good diet.
Mass gainers are like any other muscle building supplement, as in you should it as a supplement to your diet, not replace it completely.
(Not only is it not healthy, but may end up pretty gassy, bloated and more. I wouldn’t recommend it)
Benefits Of Mass Gainers For Skinny Guys
Before we look at the best weight gainers for skinny guys, why even bother using a mass gainer?
Put simply, when you’re a beginner hardgainer, it’s very hard to eat enough to put on muscle.
Back when I first started my bodybuilding journey, I would try to eat till I felt like I had to throw up, and even then I barely gained weight.
That’s where the best mass gainers for hardgainers come in.
When I invested in a quality weight gainer, it became a LOT easier to get the calories needed to build muscle.
Mass gainers are often STUFFED full of carbs and protein, which is great for skinny guys.
In my opinion, the best time to use a weight gainer, is right after a grueling workout when your muscles need it most.
Studies have shown that exercise depletes your muscles’ stores of glycogen and energy.
“The ability of athletes to train day after day depends in large part on adequate restoration of muscle glycogen stores, a process that requires the consumption of sufficient dietary carbohydrates and ample time.”
Put simply, after a workout your muscles are STARVING for nutrients.
So what happens when you use a mass gainer to give your body a surplus of all the nutrients needed to build muscle?
You build muscle, period.
Hopefully by now you see the benefits of mass gainers for skinny guys. (you build muscle faster if you didn’t catch it.)
And now, let’s actually look at the best mass gainers for skinny guys; ranked in order of their effectiveness.
Best Mass Gainer Overall: Mutant Mass
Let’s get something clear…
I could write an entire post about the benefits of Mutant Mass (and I most certainly will), But I will briefly go over them here too.
Mutant mass is by far one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers if not the best period.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Amazing Taste | Need A Big Shaker Cup |
| Packed With BCAA's | Can Be Spendy For Some |
| Made With Natural Foods | Might Not Last You Very Long |
One of the best benefits of this mass gainer is the fact it’s made with natural foods like sweet potato, avocado, rolled oats, pumpkin seeds, and so much more.
Don’t let these fool you though as I will personally attest to Mutant Mass being the most delicious workout supplement I’ve ever tasted.
Seriously, it taste like a goddamned milkshake, unlike other lower-quality mass gainers.
And because it’s made with natural ingredients, you don’t have to worry about any nasty side effects like you would with other mass gainers.
Another benefit, is the fact that mutant mass is packed full of BCAA’s.
Studies have shown that consumption of BCAA’s greatly enhance the process of protein synthesis (muscle building).
“BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), particularly leucine, have anabolic effects on protein metabolism by increasing the rate of protein synthesis and decreasing the rate of protein degradation in resting human muscle.”
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Mutant Mass in one section of an article.
The only complaint I have is that for teens or people who struggle financially, it’s bit more costly.
But when you can afford it, it’s definitely worth it to shell out a few bucks for easily one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers.
Best Cheap Mass Gainer: Optimum Nutrition
Next we have one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers who are looking for a cheaper option.
If you’re just looking for the best weight gainer for beginners, then you’ve found it.
This was my “go-to” back in the day when I was consuming around 5,000 – 6,000 calories every single day trying to put on mass as the skinny hardgainer I was.
My daily breakfast would be around 6 whole eggs, 2 bowls of oatmeal w/ peanut butter, a glass of milk, a banana or two and some almonds, JUST for breakfast.
I was tired of being so damned skinny, and I sought out to fix it.
Yet despite all of that eating high quality foods, I made the most progress when I switched out my plain glass of milk, with shaker of milk AND this mass gainer.
Eating all of that food, combined with OP’s mass gainer, I got to the heaviest I’d ever been (which wasn’t much but still an achievement at the time.)
Nutritional benefits of OP’s mass gainer:
- 1,250 calories per serving
- 50 grams of protein
- 254 grams of carbs
- 3 grams of creatine
- 25 different vitamins & minerals
Not only does it have 50 grams of protein and a whopping 1,250 calories per serving, but it’s also got 3 grams of creatine.
Creatine is one of the best supplements for hardgainers, as studies have shown it to GREATLY increase the rate of protein synthesis. [R]
Overall, as I said before, Optimum Nutrition’s “Serious Mass” is one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers looking for a cheap option.
Best Natural Mass Gainer: Homemade
Last, but certainly not least is the best 100% natural mass gainer that you can literally make at home.
This should be any skinny guy’s go-to if you don’t already have a store bought mass gainer.
Homemade mass gainers can literally be a godsend for some people, as most people will already have everything they need at home.
In fact, a homemade mass gainer combined with an intense home workout plan can get you more jacked then you’d realize.
It’s also easy to measure out, and adjust to your needs.
In fact the customization of a homemade shake is what makes it in the top 3 mass gainers for hardgainers.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Tons Of Customization | Doesn't Always Taste Great |
| Cheapest In The Long Run | May Be Missing Key Ingredients |
| Optimize For Your Needs | Takes The Most Time To Prepare |
If you’re truly trying to bulk up, then I’d recommend making the shake provided below at LEAST 2-3 times a day.
Once in the morning, once after your workout, and one more before you go to bed, ON TOP of your diet as well.
I realize that if you’re a skinny guy, this much eating can be daunting to say the least.
But remember, in order get big you must eat big and 2-3 months of eating like this will most certainly get you bigger than ever before.
Homemade Mass Gainer Shake Recipe
Now, let’s look at what you need to make a good homemade weight gainer shake quickly.
You need 3 things, a source of fats, a source of carbs, and a source of protein.
Because of this, we’ll be making a peanut butter chocolate mass gainer shake.
A good mass gainer should meet all of your nutritional needs but also taste good (since you’ll be consuming this shake a LOT).
Here’s a basic recipe to get you started:
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 4 tablespoons of peanut butter
- 2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
- 1 cup of oats
- 2 bananas
- Ice Cubes (optional)
That’s it, that’s really all you need for one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers that you can make at home.
Our fats come from the milk and peanut butter.
The carbs are supplied by the bananas and oats, and the protein comes with everything, but mainly from the why powder.
You can also add some additional supplement powders to truly make the best homemade mass gainer shake.
I’d recommend the following supplements:
All of these are optional, but adding them will lead to significantly more muscle gains.
I also linked to the unflavored versions, that way you’re not mixing other flavors into your shake which would just lead to a gross cup of sludge.
The creatine has been shown to build muscle over twice as fast, as people who don’t supplement with it. [R]
The glutamine is proven to help your body absorb and make better use of the nutrients. (A huge key for putting on muscle quickly) [R]
Overall, the shake recipe combined with the supplement powders above will save you money in the long run.
Not only this but all of these combined will make for one of the best mass gainers for hardgainers, even better than ones you could buy at the store.
My Mutant Mass Before & After Transformation
I wanted to take a moment to show you my personal experience with Mutant Mass.
The photo on the left was right after I had my first scoop, and the photo on the right was yesterday.
Obviously significant time has passed between the two photos, but it get’s the point across nonetheless.
On the left I weighed about 150, and on the right I weighed about 165 give or take.
That’s 15 fucking pounds in like NO time.
And as of January 2022, I am a natural lifter currently.
I don’t plan to be forever, but as of right now I’d just like to show you what’s possible.
If you’re a hardgainer, I can’t recommend enough to get some mutant mass, and maybe a natural testosterone booster like Testogen.
After that, give your all in the gym each and every day, and for every ounce of effort you put in, you’ll be rewarded in double.
“Should Skinny Guys Use Mass Gainers?”
“Should skinny guys use mass gainers” is a question I get every once in awhile and my answer remains the same: absolutely you should.
If you’re a true hardgainer and have a metabolism faster than lightning, then you need all the help you can get.
This was me back in the day, and I daresay I would not have made the progress I have without some form of mass gainer.
I was like a bottomless pit that could eat everything and anything but not gain a single pound.
When I was younger, I was so skinny that I could suck in my stomach and grab hold of the bottom of my ribs, and you would literally feel my lungs breathing.
Yeah… when you’re a kid that’s a cool trick to show your friends, but not as much when you get into sports or want to put on muscle and become a teenage bodybuilder.
Whether you have to make your own at home, or you can afford the better options, a quality mass gainer should be on your grocery list.
So, should skinny guys use mass gainer? In my opinion, Abso-fucking-lutely.
Best Mass Gainers For Hardgainers: Conclusion
Overall, if you’ve been looking for the best mass gainers for hardgainers, you’ve found them.
I’ve spent well over hundreds of dollars on various mass gainers, and I’ve found these 3 to be the best options for skinny guys trying to gain weight.
If you want a full nutrition plan, then be sure to check out the “Aesthetic Abs Series” which includes:
- Give You Access To 3 Levels Of Custom Ab Routines, For Beginners All the Way Up To Bodybuilding Competitors!
- A Full Nutritional Layout Plan, That Shows You EXACTLY What To Eat (No More Fretting About Calories, Protein, Getting All the Proper Hormone Boosting Foods Etc.)
- A Clear, Easy To Follow Guide To Developing Perfect Mind Muscle Connection That Even A KID Could Follow
- All The Supplements You Should Be Taking For The FASTEST Results, And Optimal Health
- And much, much, more…
For my fellow hardgainers out there, these mass gainers will get you on the right path, but only you can walk it.
I can guide you down the path, but you must take the actual steps and a quality mass gainer is one hell of a first step.
I wish you luck on your journey, and as always, I’ll be here to help guide you through it.
To Your Success,
-Matthew Carter