The Best Selling Weight Gainers

Weight gainers provide a convenient means of increasing caloric intake. While gaining weight seems simple on the surface, eat more calories than you burn, many fail to reach their goals. The body requires protein, carbohydrates and fats to gain weight and build muscle. Few people have time to plan, prepare and eat all the extra calories needed for proper muscle building nutrition. Weight gainers can help you fill the gaps in your nutrition program, and they provide excellent post-workout nutrition for building muscle.

Cytogainer

Cytosport, maker of Muscle Milk, offers Cytogainer as a muscle-building protein supplement with added creatine. The 80 g of carbohydrates come from maltodextrin, a complex carb, limiting the sugar to 5 g per serving. The 65 g of protein come from high-quality, partially predigested whey concentrates and isolates. The vitamin and mineral blend ensures that you have all the nutrients needed to build muscle. Cytosport claims that Cytogainer mixes instantly with water in a shaker--great for those constantly on the go.

Serious Mass

Optimum Nutrition's Serious Mass is for hard-gainers who need a lot of extra calories, especially carbohydrates. Serious Mass packs 252 g of carbs per serving. Fifty grams of protein, a vitamin and mineral blend and creatine and glutamine can certainly help. Start with half the serving immediately after your workout. Then try to finish the rest 30 minutes to 1 hour later. With 1,250 calories per serving, there is no excuse for not getting enough nutrients to build muscle.

True Mass

True Mass is a muscle-building protein blend from BSN. It contains glutamine AKG, glutamine peptides, branch-chain amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and medium-chain triglycerides. The 50 g of protein come from whey concentrate, isolates and hydrolysates, micellar caseins, milk isolates and egg whites. The 70 g of carbohydrates from maltodextrin and 17 g of fat from sunflower oil and MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) round out a 600-calorie boost for all of your muscle-building needs. For those who can only manage a few meals a day, two to four servings of True Mass will provide you with adequate muscle-building calories.

Critical Mass

Aftershock Critical Mass from Myogenix contains a 52-gram, lactose-free protein blend, consisting of high-quality whey protein isolate. In addition, Critical Mass contains 85 grams of muscle-building carbohydrates from waxy maize, maltodextrin, glucose, cane juice and oat and rice bran. Each serving also contains 18 grams of healthy fats from sunflower oil, canola oil, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), borage oil and cold-pressed flax seed. This product also contains the potent muscle-building supplements creatine and glutamine.

Up Your Mass

Up Your Mass from MHP delivers 58 g of carbohydrates from barley and oats. On top of that, the 54-gram protein matrix combines soy, casein, whey and branch-chain amino acids for a sustained-release muscle recovery effect. The 11-gram essential fatty acid complex includes fat-burning CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), MCTs, flax seed oil, omega-3 and evening primrose oil. The vitamin and mineral complex provides a foundation for muscle-building nutrition.