The Truth About Mass Gainers

Hi again guys,

Food should always be the foundation of a successful bulk. Real meals, real digestion, real nutrients — that’s the backbone of sustainable weight gain.

But the moment someone decides to start a bulk, what do they do?
They run straight to mass gainers.

So let’s break them down properly — what they are, why they seem helpful, why most of them fail, and how to actually use them effectively.

💥 What Are Mass Gainers?

Mass gainers are some of the most popular supplements for putting on weight. Think of them as hyper-caloric protein shakes — usually a blend of:

• whey protein

• fast-absorbing carbs

• cheap oils or fats

• artificial flavors

• thickeners and fillers

It would not be an exaggeration to say that 90% of mass gainers on the market are trash.
They’re high-calorie, yes — but usually in the worst possible way.

And while making your own is ideal, what if you didn’t have to?
Let’s first understand the “why.”

🧠 Why Do People Use Mass Gainers?

A few reasons come up over and over:

• Liquid calories are easier to consume

• They’re fast to prepare

• Easy to drink on the go

• They create a psychological “I’m bulking” feeling

• They help people hit a calorie surplus

Do they work?
Yes — if “work” simply means gaining weight.

But weight ≠ muscle.
Most commercial gainers push you into a sloppy surplus, leading to:

• excess fat gain

• blood sugar issues

• poor digestion

• inflammation

• worse training performance

So yes, they work — but not cleanly, not intelligently, and not sustainably.

❌ What Most People Get Wrong

The biggest mistake?
Using mass gainers at the wrong time.

People drink them:

• for breakfast

• as a random snack

• before bed

• during work breaks

All of these are pointless. They spike calories when you don’t need them and encourage fat storage.

✅ When mass gainers actually matter:

Peri-workout.

This includes:

• Pre-workout:
  If you haven’t eaten in the last 2–3 hours

• Post-workout:
  When glycogen is low and cortisol is high

• Intra-workout:
  If you’ve already mastered pre and post nutrition

During these windows, your body is primed to:

• shuttle carbs into muscle

• spike insulin at the right time

• drop cortisol

• accelerate recovery

• build lean mass instead of fat

Outside of these windows?
They’re just sugar bombs.

🔍 What to Look For in a Mass Gainer

With hundreds on the market, people usually pick:

• the most popular

• the highest calorie

• or the best tasting one

In reality, those are typically the worst.

Example of a problematic one:

Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition

• 254 g carbs

• 1000+ calories

• 50 g protein

• artificial flavors + sweeteners

Unless you train like a bricklayer and burn calories all day, this is a fat gainer, not a mass gainer.

⭐ What I Recommend Instead

TRUE Nutrition — Post Workout Blend

This is what a mass gainer should look like.

Why it works:

• Clean ingredients

• High-quality protein

• Optimal carb:protein ratio

• Creatine included

• Easy to digest

• Designed specifically for peri-workout

Macros per serving:

• 28.6 g protein

• 33.5 g carbs

• 2.5 g creatine

Do one serving pre-workout, one post-workout, and you’re set.

Mix with skim milk or filtered water to keep fats under 1 g and digestion smooth.

This is a clean gainer — not an insulin rollercoaster.

⏭️ Next Time

In the next issue, we’ll go further and build your own custom mass gainer tailored to:

• your taste

• your macros

• your digestion

• your goals

Stay tuned — this one’s going to be fun.

Until next time,
Sainte