If you’re trying to build muscle but don’t have a body that lends itself to that goal, we recommend trying a mass gainer to help you put on weight that can then be converted into muscle.
Today, we’re going to be looking at some of the best mass gainers for skinny guys and “hard gainers.”
Comparison Chart
Best Mass Gainer for Skinny Guys Reviews
1. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass
Optimum Nutrition is one of the most popular manufacturers of weight gain supplements in the sports nutrition industry and its products are used by casual gym goers and professional athletes alike.
The brand’s Serious Mass formula can be used by hard gainers from both categories and, as its name suggests, will put you on the road to some serious gains.
Serious Mass Review
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass promises 1,250 calories per serving when mixed using water, but if you need to gain weight fast, you can mix it with low-fat milk, opening the door to a staggering 1,640 calories per serving.
When you’re stocking your body with such a high number of calories, it is imperative that you stay on top of your workouts as complacency and laziness will lead to you gaining fat instead of muscle.
Fortunately, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass comes loaded with carbohydrates – well over 250 grams per serving – to push you through every workout.
A lot of ON customers have complained about Serious Mass tasting worse than the average mass gainer – and mass gainers generally taste pretty bad – while others have reported the results taking longer than expected to show.
Some particularly unfortunate Optimum Nutrition customers have even reported this formula causing diarrhea, gas, and other digestive issues. Keep that in mind when looking for the best mass gainer for skinny guys.
- Vitamin C, Zinc and Vitamin D Provide Immune Support along with Vitamin E
- Packaging may vary - New look, with the same trusted Quality!
- High Calorie Weight Gainer: 1,250 Calories per 2-Scoop Serving
- 50 Grams of Protein per Serving for fueling Intense Workouts
- Over 250 Grams of Carbohydrates per Serving
| What’s to like about the Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass + | What’s not to like about the Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass – |
|---|---|
| ✅ Can be mixed with milk | ❌ Chalky taste |
| ✅ High in carbohydrates | ❌ May cause digestive issues |
| ✅ Multiple flavor options |
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| ✅ 1,250 calories per serving | ❌ Difficult to mix |
| ✅ 25 vitamins and minerals |
2. Dymatize Super Mass Gainer
Dymatize Super Mass Gainer is a great option for professional athletes who are trying to reach a certain weight but need help getting up there.
The manufacturer promises that this supplement will bring about “massive gains” in a short period of time and, according to more than one satisfied Dymatize customer, it will do just that.
Dymatize Super Review
If Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass formula doesn’t provide enough calories per serving for what you’re trying to achieve, you should put Dymatize Super Mass Gainer at the top of your list.
This formula promises 1,260 calories per serving, as well as 52 grams of whey protein and 10.9 grams of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids).
Dymatize Super Mass Gainer contains no gluten and will be easier for you to digest, which makes for a fuller absorption of the included vitamins and minerals.
While Dymatize Super Mass Gainer is easy to mix, it does require more water and/or milk to do so than the average weight gain supplement.
A number of customers have complained about their shakers overflowing before they even reach Dymatize’s recommended measurements.
It’s also worth noting that this formula is a lot higher in sugar than most other mass gainers in its price range. So it should be avoided as the best mass gainer for skinny guys if you’re trying to adhere to a sugar-free diet.
- 10.7 grams of BCAAs as building blocks, including 5.1g Leucine, as building blocks to help activate Muscle Protein Synthesis
- 1310 calories and 245g carbs per serving to help even the hardest gainers pack on mass
- 52 grams of protein per serving (a blend of fast, medium, and slow digesting proteins) for muscle support
- 17 vitamins and minerals to support balanced nutrition, healthy muscle tissue and muscle recovery
- During the summer months products may arrive warm but Amazon stores and ships products in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations, when provided.
| What’s to like about the Dymatize Super Mass Gainer+ | What’s not to like about the Dymatize Super Mass Gainer – |
|---|---|
| ✅ Dymatize does not amino spike | ❌ Requires a lot of mixer |
| ✅ Multiple flavor options | ❌ High in sugar |
| ✅ Suitable for teenagers |
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| ✅ 1,260 calories per serving | ❌ Contains soy |
| ✅ Easy-mix formula |
3. Isopure Mass
Isopure Mass is made with high-quality ingredients and contains no filler ingredients or potentially harmful additives, putting it very much in line with Isopure’s mission to attain “Purity. Perfection. The best.”
Isopure Mass Review
Isopure Mass is a gluten-free weight gain supplement and won’t aggravate digestive issues or leave you with an upset stomach on your way to the gym.
Similarly, it is entirely devoid of lactose, although it can be mixed with milk if you prefer a thick shake and want to increase the calorie content of each serving.
In the manufacturing of this mass gainer, Isopure relies on a complex microfiltration process to ensure 100% whey protein isolate, which has a higher protein content and a lower carbohydrate content than traditional whey protein.
Even when mixed with water, Isopure Mass is quite thick. That’s not to say that this formula will clump and clog the drinking spout of your shaker, but it does have a texture similar to that of melted chocolate, which some people find difficult to stomach. Maybe one of the best mass gainers for skinny guys in 2020.
- Vitamin C and Zinc Provides Immune Support along with Vitamin E
- 50g Protein from 100% Whey Protein Isolate
- 11 Grams of Naturally Occurring BCAAs Per Serving
- 9 Grams of Naturally Occurring Glutamine Per Serving
- Added Vitamin & Mineral Blend
| What’s to like about the Isopure Mass + | What’s not to like about the Isopure Mass – |
|---|---|
| ✅ Lactose-free | ❌ Thick texture |
| ✅ Multiple flavor options | ❌ Difficult to measure |
| ✅ Produced using microfiltration |
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| ✅ Gluten-free formula | ❌ Runs out quickly |
| ✅ 100% WPI |
4. MUSCLE MILK CytoGainer
CytoGain takes its name from CytoSport, the company in ownership of MUSCLE MILK, but this formula is very much a MUSCLE MILK formula and furthers the brand’s reputation for success and customer satisfaction.
Given that MUSCLE MILK CytoGain can be purchased for less than $40, it is a great choice for skinny guys who have never tried using a weight gain supplement and aren’t quite certain if it is the right avenue for them.
CytoGainer Review
This formula boasts an impressive 54 grams of protein per serving (a protein that is derived solely from whey).
With such a high percentage of protein in every scoop, this mass gainer will give you the energy needed to turn your extra weight into muscle as it develops so you won’t have to wait to hit the gym.
MUSCLE MILK CytoGain is a lean gainer, which means it has close to ⅓ fewer carbohydrates than the average mass gainer. Because of its low carbs content, CytoGain requires a little less work to stave off fat than rival products, making it arguably the best mass gainer for busy people whose hectic working lives prevent them from exercising every day.
Of all reported issues with this formula, its chalky taste is the one that comes up most frequently.
Some people have reported having to hold their nose when trying to get through a CytoGain shake while others have complained about not being able to keep it down after finishing it.
This likely has something to do with the formula’s high lactose content and those who found themselves feeling sick or even vomiting after finishing a shake likely have an undiagnosed intolerance, nonetheless. It is something to keep in mind in your search for the best mass gainer for skinny guys.
- One 6 pound canister of CYTOSPORT CYTO GAINER - about 36 servings.
- SPECIALIZED HIGH-PROTEIN & CALORIE-DENSE MASS GAINER - 550 calories to increase your overall calorie intake and 54 grams of high-quality proteins to help facilitate muscle growth after training.
- 3.2 GRAMS OF CRETAINE MONOHYDRATE to help support muscle mass and strength.
- 6 GRAMS OF LEUCINE, a key amino acid that triggers muscle growth and helps prevent muscle protein breakdown.
- 73 GRAMS OF TOTAL CARBOHYDRATES to help replace muscle and liver glycogen stores, the muscle's primary energy source.
| What’s to like about the MUSCLE MILK CytoGainer + | What’s not to like about the MUSCLE MILK CytoGainer – |
|---|---|
| ✅ Satisfies hunger | ❌ Chalky taste |
| ✅ Slow-releasing energy | ❌ High in lactose |
| ✅ NSF certified |
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| ✅ 54 grams of protein per serving | ❌ May cause digestive issues |
| ✅ Gluten-free formula |
5. Now Sports Carbo Gain
NOW Foods produces a wide range of products for health-conscious consumers, including supplements, essential oils, and natural foods. It even manufactures its own line of pet food, so fitness fanatics can ensure their cats and dogs are just as healthy as they are.
NOW Sports is a division of NOW Foods but has taken on a life of its own thanks to the popularity of its shakes. Carbo Gain is one of those shakes and is the ideal NOW Sports formula for hard gainers and one of the best mass gainer for skinny guys.
Now Sport Review – The best mass gainer for skinny guys ?
Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate composed of glucose polymers.
Glucose polymers are essentially chains of glucose molecules that take little effort for the body to digest, which makes for greater absorption and assimilation of nutrients throughout the body.
NOW Sports Carbo Gain derives its maltodextrin from non-GMO corn, so you won’t have to resign yourself to putting potentially harmful substances into your body to get faster results.
Despite being high in protein, NOW Sports Carbo Gain contains no traces of meat or animal products, including dairy, and so is suitable for vegetarians and vegans who need some extra help putting on weight.
NOW Sports Carbo Gain is only available in one flavor option, which will be a source of frustration if you struggle to make it through non-flavored shakes.
Many who have tried this formula have complained about how difficult it is to mix using a shaker.
It seems that Carbo Gain can only be adequately mixed using a blender, so be sure you have one of those before making a purchase.
- Same trusted quality with a brand new look! Packaging may vary
- ENERGY PRODUCTION: Carbo Gain is pure maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate derived from non-GMO corn.
- PURE MALTODEXTRIN: Maltodextrin is comprised of "glucose polymers," which are chains of glucose molecules that are easy for the body to digest and assimilate.
- GMP Quality Assured: NPA A-rated GMP certification means that every aspect of the NOW manufacturing process has been examined, including our laboratory/testing methods (for stability, potency, and product formulation).
- Packaged in the USA by a family owned and operated company since 1968
| What’s to like about the Now Sports Carbo Gain + | What’s not to like about the Now Sports Carbo Gain – |
|---|---|
| ✅ Inexpensive | ❌ Only one flavor option |
| ✅ Pure maltodextrin | ❌ Difficult to mix |
| ✅ Suitable for vegetarians and vegans |
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| ✅ No artificial sweeteners | ❌ No included scoop |
| ✅ 100% complex carbohydrates |
Best Mass Gainer for Skinny Guys – FINAL VERDICT
Because everybody’s body is different, it’s difficult to declare one of these mass gainers as better over all the rest. That being said, the most versatile formula to appear on this list is Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass.
Serious Mass promises 1,250 calories per serving when mixed with water, but skinny guys who aren’t lactose intolerant can mix it with milk for even greater gains.
If you don’t want to spend the $50 Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass generally goes for, we recommend trying NOW Sports Carbo Gain, which can be purchased for half the price of its Optimum Nutrition counterpart and utilizes pure maltodextrin for speedy gains and fuller absorption.