Should You Take Mass Gainer Every Day?

July 14, 2022

Mass gainers have a mystic surrounding them that they automatically make you fat if you don’t exercise. Like there is some magical powder inside that accelerates weight gain. Should you risk it and take mass gainer every day?

Take mass gainer every day if your goal is to gain weight and build muscle, and you cannot consume extra calories from whole food sources.

But are there any cases you shouldn’t take mass gainer every day? And how much can you take per day?

Should You Take Mass Gainer Every Day?

If your goal is to gain weight and build muscle, you can take mass gainer every day. All that is required is you are in a daily caloric surplus. The reason to take a mass gainer is to meet the extra calorie requirement to build muscle and gain weight.

If you can meet this extra calorie requirement with food only, then you do not need to take a mass gainer every day. However, you are likely taking a mass gainer because you struggle to eat more calories from food.

In this instance, you should take mass gainer every day to meet these caloric requirements. If you use mass gainer as a meal replacement, you can also have it daily.

Should You Take Mass Gainer On Rest Days?

Should You Take Mass Gainer On Rest Days

To meet the additional calorie requirements to gain weight and build muscle, you should take mass gainer on rest days if you can’t meet your extra caloric needs from food. Remember, there is nothing magical about mass gainer that will cause you to miraculously gain body fat because you didn’t exercise.

Is It Safe To Take Mass Gainer Every Day?

It is completely safe to take mass gainer every day. Think of it as a meal replacement to gain weight or maintain your weight when you’re in a rush. However, be aware that not all mass gainers are equal.

Many are filled with cheap carbohydrate fillers, which are excellent post-workout but not so great for your digestion from experience. If you’re after a healthier mass gainer, check my Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer review, which uses oats, peas, and sweet potato as carbohydrate sources.

How Many Times Should You Take Mass Gainer In A Day?

I advise you to take mass gainer once a day. By taking mass gainer more than once, you’re replacing a whole food meal and missing out on essential micronutrients, fiber, and healthy fats that are typically void in a mass gainer.

If you split your dose in half, you could have mass gainer twice daily, equalling one total serving.

How Much Mass Gainer Should You Take In A Day?

Is It Safe To Take Mass Gainer Every Day

Don’t go by the serving size listed on the nutrition label. Some mass gainers will provide over 1000 calories in one serving and have you take 6 heaping scoops of powder that barely fits in your shaker bottle.

Instead, aim for 200-300 calories over your maintenance calories. If what you eat daily maintains your bodyweight, calculate how much mass gainer you need to meet the 200-300 calorie range.

For example, if you’re a 135 lb skinny guy, and your maintenance calories are approximately 2000 calories, then you’d use mass gainer to consume 2200-2300 calories daily.

My favorite Crazy Nutrition Mass Gainer linked above is simply half a serving. If you’re using Serious Mass by Optimum Nutrition, it’s approximately ¼ of a serving. So, make sure to read the nutrition label and serving size.

Should You Take Mass Gainer Before Or After A Workout?

Taking a mass gainer after your workout is the best option for two reasons:

  1. It has a great combination of carbohydrates and protein with minimal fat to boost your recovery.
  2. Taking mass gainer before you workout will leave you full and potentially bloated, negatively affecting your workout.

These rules don’t apply if you take mass gainer in the morning but work out in the evenings. In this case, the mass gainer becomes a meal replacement during your day and is too far from the workout to cause any problems.

Summary

Mass gainer can be taken every day and should be if you’re a hard gainer that can’t get enough calories from whole foods. They can also be used as meal replacements each day if you live a busy lifestyle.

Many lifters make the mistake of only taking mass gainer on training days, forgetting that your daily average caloric intake long-term dictates muscle and weight gain—resulting in undereating on rest days and a subsequent struggle to gain weight.

About the Author

I am a professional strength & conditioning coach that works with professional and international teams and athletes. I am a published scientific researcher and have completed my Masters in Sport & Exercise Science. I've combined my knowledge of research and experience to bring you the most practical bites to be applied to your training.

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