Mass Gainers NZ

Dymatize Super Mass Gainer if you want the most calories per shake, or the 6.8 kg Basic Supplements Mass Gainer bag if you want the most calories for your money. Dymatize gives 1,280 calories, 52 g protein and 1 g creatine a serve; Basic gives 1,030 calories and 50 g protein. At September 2026 prices, a Basic serve cost $7.44 from the 6.8 kg bag. Only short on protein? Whey is the better buy. See mass gainers compared by price per 1,000 calories.

A mass gainer is a high-calorie protein powder: mostly carbohydrate, plus protein and some fat. Ours give 1,030 to 1,280 calories, 50 to 52 g protein and 190 to 245 g carbohydrate a serve. Dymatize uses whey concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate plus micellar casein; Basic uses a whey and milk protein blend over maltodextrin, sweet potato starch, quinoa and oat fibre. A weight gainer is the same kind of product under another name, so compare labels, not names: see mass gainer vs weight gainer.

Buy whey if you already eat enough and mainly need protein; buy a gainer if appetite holds you back. Most whey protein powders in our range give about 25 g protein a serve for 100 to 140 calories, from $2.19 a serve at September 2026 prices for MusclePharm Combat 100% Whey. It is also in our tested for sport range; neither gainer is. In a gainer only 16 to 19% of the calories come from protein, so you pay for the carbohydrate too. Compare our whey protein range.

Dymatize for the most calories and some creatine in each shake; Basic for a smaller serve, a mixed carb base and more serves per bag. Protein is close to a tie, 52 g against 50 g.

• Dymatize gainers: 1,280 calories, 245 g carbohydrate and 1 g creatine in a 333 to 335 g serve. Gourmet Vanilla or Rich Chocolate; 2.72 kg (8 serves) or 5.4 kg (16 serves).
• Basic Supplements gainers: 1,030 calories, 190 g carbohydrate, 13 g sugars and 8 g fat in a 265 g serve. Chocolate, Vanilla or Cookie N Cream; 2.72 kg (10 serves) or 6.8 kg (26 serves).

See Dymatize vs Basic side by side.

Start with half a serve once a day: about 133 g of Basic (515 calories, 25 g protein) or about 167 g of Dymatize (640 calories, 26 g protein). Drink it between meals or after training, as an extra, not a meal replacement. Before bed suits some people, but a big late shake keeps others awake. Use a blender, as a full serve clumps in a shaker. If your weight has not moved after two or three weeks, step up to a full serve within the label directions. More in how to use a mass gainer.

It can add fat if the surplus is too big, and a full serve in one go can leave you bloated. Our mass gainer guide aims for a gain of 0.25 to 0.5% of bodyweight a week; if you gain faster than that week after week, trim the serve. If a serve leaves you bloated or sits heavy, split it into two drinks or sip it over 10 to 15 minutes. Both gainers are dairy based. For a dairy-free shake, blend a vegan protein such as Ghost Vegan Protein with oat milk and oats, and check the allergen panel.

Not always: try food first. Our buying guide suggests a week of your normal meals plus one extra real meal a day. If your weight moves, you did not need a gainer. A gainer earns its place for hard gainers, when appetite, a physical job or lack of time keeps you short. The middle ground is a home-made gainer shake of milk, banana, oats, peanut butter and whey, around 600 to 700 calories; we also stock powdered peanut butter and protein foods. Under 18 or managing a health condition? Ask a health professional first.

Yes, if the shake adds calories you would not otherwise eat and you keep training with progression. Without training, most of the extra weight will be fat rather than muscle. Results are slow: at 0.25 to 0.5% of bodyweight a week, going from 70 to 80 kg takes about seven months to a year. Weigh yourself each week, first thing in the morning, and adjust the serve to the trend.

For most people it is a whey protein powder, then creatine; a mass gainer comes third. Training and enough daily protein come first: our best protein powder for muscle gain in NZ guide uses about 1.6 g per kg of bodyweight, and in its worked example one 25 g whey serve closes the gap for a 70 kg lifter. Next is creatine monohydrate, the most studied form, at 3 to 5 g a day: see our creatine powders. Add a gainer only when total calories, not protein, are what you are short on.

Yes, creatine and a mass gainer are a common pairing on a bulk. Dymatize lists 1 g of creatine a serve, below the 3 to 5 g a day our creatine guides use, and Basic lists none. A plain, unflavoured creatine powder stirs straight into the shake: ProSupps Creatine lists 5 g a serve, and a serve cost 60 cents at September 2026 prices. To get a gainer and creatine in one order, see the Muscle & Size Stack.