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Overview

Gaining weight or bulking up may seem like an easy process, but in reality, it’s much more difficult than you think. The truth is, that everyone has a different body type. For some, gaining weight is very easy and for others, because of various reasons like metabolism, it can be extremally hard. So, if your main goal is to gain weight or bulk up, then you may need to supplement your diet with a high calorie protein powder.

You’ve probably heard of protein powders in one way or another, and if you’re an athlete or someone who works out frequently, you probably know that they are very important to your health and fitness goals.

The fact is that your body needs protein and having a protein powder supplement makes life very easy.

The best part is that you can make delicious protein shakes and smoothies that will not only satisfy your appetite, but also provide you with a good amount protein for muscle growth and recovery. And no, to make these protein shakes and smoothies does NOT take 3 hours. You can make one that satisfies your taste buds in literally 5 minutes.

Now if your goal is to gain weight, you need to have to find a protein powder that is high in calories. Don’t worry, we have done the work for you. Below we have put together a list of our best high calorie protein powders that will help you achieve your fitness goals in no time.

Best High Calorie Protein Powder In The Market!

After performing our research looking at things like ingredients, reviews and nutritional facts, we have put together our top 7 best high calorie protein powder options. All of these are great for bulking up and building muscle mass.

1. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder
2. Dymatize Super Mass Gainer Protein Powder
3. Optimum Nutrition GS Pro Gainers
4. BSN TRUE-MASS Weight Gainer
5. Naked Vegan Mass
6. Chocolate Naked Mass
7. Rivalus Clean Gainer

1. Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Weight Gainer Protein Powder

If you are struggling with gaining weight, you must consider this high calorie protein powder. Filled with lots of protein and calories that come from all three key sources including carbs, protein, and healthy fats, this product makes it into our top 7.

Lets assume you are aiming for 3,200 calories in a day, this high calorie protein powder option will give you nearly 40% of your daily calorie goal.

On top of this, it has other essential vitamins and minerals to provide immune support.

What about the taste? You would be surprised to hear that it actually tastes really good. My favorite flavor is chocolate however it does come in banana and peanut butter flavors as well. Mix this with fruits, milk and some nuts and blend.

Now you might be asking yourself, what is the best time to have this protein powder? Well, according to Optimum Nutrition, you should take this protein powder between meals, after weight training and before bed.

Additionally, the brand itself is highly trusted with “each ingredient tested to assure exceptional purity, potency and composition”.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is about 2 heaping scoops (336 grams).

2. Dymatize Super Mass Gainer Protein Powder

We talked about how important protein is, but we didn’t really dive into what type of amino acids are beneficial for building muscle.

You see, there are nine amino acids that the body can’t produce and must be sourced through our diet. Out of the nine, three are what we refer to as Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) which include leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These are crucial for building muscle.

This high calorie protein powder has 10.7 grams of these BCAA’s including 5.1g Leucine.

In addition, it is packed with calories that are sourced from proteins, fats and carbs and is a great choice to add to your bulking diet.

It also includes essential vitamins and minerals for a balance diet, healthy muscle tissue and muscle recovery.

Now, talking from personal experience, regardless of the benefits of a high calorie protein powder has, if it doesn’t taste good, you’re not going to eat it. But don’t worry. This product does taste good. Coming in three different flavors: Gourmet Vanilla, Chocolate Cake Batter, Cookies & Cream.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 2.5 cups (333 grams).

3. Optimum Nutrition GS Pro Gainers

Optimum nutrition, being such a good brand, another one of its high calorie protein powders makes it into my top 7 list.

As we talked about earlier, to properly bulk up you need a mixture carbs, protein, and fats. This product has it all.

This high calorie protein powder will help you build muscle, restore energy and is perfect for recovery after your sweaty gym session. Why? Because of the 60 grams of protein it contains, which is the most out of the products on our list. And the protein is from good quality, sourced from whey, casein, and egg.

Now let’s talk about the taste. Simply delicious, coming in double chocolate (my favorite) and banana flavors. Put this is milk, add your favorite toppings, blend, and enjoy!

According to Optimum Nutrition, the best time to take this product is post-workout or in between meals.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 1 scoop (165 grams).

4. BSN TRUE-MASS Weight Gainer

This is another great high calorie protein powder option and if you are one that needs more calories and are struggling to achieve this, you need to give this one a go.

This product is filled with good quality protein sourced from all three whey protein variations including whey protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzed. The protein is also sourced from egg whites and casien.

With all of this, it contains 12 grams of BCAA’s, which is crucial for muscle building, and 25 grams of EAA’s.

With this quality protein and the addition of unique carbohydrate matrix, this high calorie protein powder will help fuel muscle recovery from heavy training.

And what about the taste? Well, it has 4 different flavors to choose from including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla and cookies and cream. Mix this milk and your favorite toppings and there you have it. An easy and tasty high calorie protein drink.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 2 scoops (310 grams).

5. Naked Vegan Mass

Now is there an option if you are vegan? Absolutely! This high calorie protein powder made from only three ingredients will help during your bulking phase and gain muscle mass. And it’s completely vegan!

It contains no artificial sweeteners, flavors, and is GMO Free, soy free, gluten free, and dairy free.

Now let’s talk about where the carbs come from. Many other vegan high calorie protein powder options use wheat-based maltodextrins. Naked Vegan Mass instead uses gluten free organic tapioca, providing a clean source of complex carbohydrates.

With just three ingredients, this product offers high quality protein sourced from peas and brown rice. It also contains 10.3 grams of BCAA to help enhance muscle building and recovery.

The best part about this product is its taste. This product is unflavored which makes it versatile for making smoothies and recipes. It can be added to you morning milkshake or into your cookies and because it is unflavored, you won’ even notice the difference.

Naked Nutrition is also a very trusted brand that has been third party tested makes quality supplements.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 4 scoops (315 grams).

6. Chocolate Naked Mass

This is another one of my favorite high calorie protein powders from Naked Nutrition because of the chocolate flavor. But let’s talk about the key features first.

Mixed with high quality protein sourced from whey and casein with complex carbohydrates for fuel and energy, this product gets to my top 7 list. It includes 11.6 grams of BCAA’s which will help enhance muscle building and recovery.

As mentioned in the previous Naked Nutrition product, this one also uses gluten free organic tapioca to source its carbohydrates.

Unlike many alternate options online, this one does not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It simply has a beautiful chocolate taste that you will never get bored of!

The only downfall in this protein powder is its sugar content. The total sugar content is 58 grams so if do have sugar problems, there are better options out there.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 4 scoops (333 grams).

7. Rivalus Clean Gainer

Finally, we have the Rivalus Clean Gainer. A quality product that has heaps of calories coming from protein, carbs and fats making bulking easier and more efficient.

Let’s first talk about the protein quality. Sourced from whey isolate, concentrate and micellar casein, this protein mixture provides essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth and recovery.

With this combination of quality protein and energizing carbs coming from an 8 source multi-carb blend, this high calorie protein powder will provide you with the fuel you need for your next workout.

What about the taste? Coming in 6 different flavors to choose from, blend it with milk and your favorite fruits, and enjoy!  

This high-quality product contains no banned substances, carrying the Informed Choice logo and has been third party tested.

Nutritional Information:

1 serving is 2 heaping scoops (149 grams).

What to Look Out For When Buying a High Calorie Protein Powder

There are so many high calorie protein options on the internet and it can be very confusing which one to go for. So, it will make your life very easy if you know what to look out for before you purchase one.

Calories

This is an obvious one. You definitely need to know how much calories there is in the protein powder. Every high calorie protein powder or a mass gainer has different number of calories.

Some may have as high as 1200 calories while some may have as low as 200 calories. It all depends on what you’re aiming for.

If you want to gain lean muscle, go for options that have lower calories but a good amount of protein. Aim for a lower amount of carbs and fats.

If you want to simply bulk and put on muscle mass and weight, aim for ones that are higher in calories. In other words, options that have a higher amount of carbs and fats as well as a good amount of protein.

Carbs and Fats

As we mentioned above, if you want to bulk or get that extra weight, you need to eat a lot more carbs and fats.

Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of fuel and energy that will allow for a high intensity workout. They are very important during your bulking phase and a lot of your calories should be sourced through carbs.

Fats are just as important. Good fats in your diet help increase the level of HDL. This leads to an increased in growth hormone production and triggers more amino acids.

What does this do? Well amino acids are the building blocks of protein and hence this will enhance muscle building and growth.   

Protein

This is another obvious one. If you are trying to gain weight, you need to pay attention to how much protein you’re having as well.

If you are trying to build muscle or bulk up, its recommended to have around two grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight.

All the high calorie protein powder options above have high protein content per serving and will definitely help achieve your fitness goal of building muscles mass and gaining healthy weight.

Price

We have picked 7 good quality high calorie protein options that have reasonable prices. The price obviously varies depending on the brand and the quantity of protein.

Some have larger containers and hence will be more expensive. If you want, you could go with a smaller size of the same product just to try it out and see if you like it.

No matter the cost, these are high quality products and will definitely help achieve your fitness goals.  

What Is Bulking?

There are three phases in bodybuilding. Bulking, cutting and maintenance. Bulking is the muscle gaining or building muscle mass phase in which you consume more calories than your body needs.

And it’s not just eating. You must perform proper weight training with this.

The extra calories come from carbs, fats and protein providing your body with fuel and energy during your workout and will help build muscle size and mass.

This bulking process generally lasts for 4-6 months depending on the person.

On average, you need 2000-3000 calories for men and 1600 – 2400 calories for women. If you are looking to bulk up, you need to have more than your body needs with proper weight training. 

So, for men, aim to eat more then 3000 calories and for women aim to eat more then 2400 calories. However, this depends. I would recommend using a calorie counter that considers your weight, sex, age, height, and physical activity to measures how many calories your body needs to maintain your bodyweight.

And of course, to bulk up you need more then your body needs to maintain. Aim to eat 300 – 500 calories more.

Benefits of having High Calorie Protein Powder

Everyone knows that protein is important but let’s pause for second to talk about how important. Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle. It enhances recovery after your long and sweaty gym session.

Now although you can find protein easily in fish, lean meats, eggs and dairy products, some diets can be low in protein or deficient in amino acids. To correct these deficiencies or help your body gain muscle mass during periods of rapid growth (for example, if you’re bulking), taking high calorie protein powder may be necessary.

The main benefit of having a high calorie protein powder is that it helps during your bulking phase. You will easily increase your muscle mass and weight.

Another benefit is that you won’t have to worry about cooking or making big meals with high calories. One high calorie protein powder serving with some milk and maybe some fruits should do the job. Put that in the blender and there you have it. A simple but effective high calorie and protein drink that will help you bulk faster and better.

Foods that have a lot of calories and will help you bulk

Apart from consuming a high calorie protein powder, what other foods are there that are high in calories? I suppose when your bulking, you really do have the freedom to eat almost anything. Here are some examples of foods to consume when you’re “clean” or “lean” bulking:

1. Fruits
2. Vegetable
3. Grains
4. Dairy
5. Meat
6. Nuts
7. Oil

When you are bulking, it’s not just about how many calories you get, its also about where the calories are coming from.

According to professionals, about 50 – 60% of your calories should come from carbohydrates, 30 – 35% should come from protein and 20 – 30% should come from fat.

If you are planning to do dirty bulking, be sure to know all the health risk involved with it such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and blood sugar levels.