Are Dead Lifts Bad For Your Back And When Should I Take Whey Protein For The Best Results

Question

Ok, Hi, I was reading the description of doing the dead lifts, it sounds like they might be bad for your back, but you know more about the exercise than I do, so that’s why I’m asking. My second question is, I was looking at protein drinks/ muscle building supplements, damn there’s a lot of choices, is there anything that would boost my muscle size faster or should I just stick with protein drinks.

Response

Dead lifts should only be attempted with a healthy back (or healthy body for that matter).

Like any exercise it targets a specific muscle such as the lower back.

If you did the bench press, the major muscle being exercised is the pectorals (chest).

However, like the bench press, the dead lift is a compound exercise which involves more than one muscle group which makes this exercise so powerful.

But the fact of the matter remains that the primary muscle being worked is the major back muscles.

As long as you have a healthy back and use the proper form when performing the exercise, you can really benefit from performing the dead lift. Now, you have to remember that this exercise must be done in proper form. Because it’s such a power movement, it’s easy to start stacking on the weight. Just concentrate on using proper technique and you should be fine.

However, if you have lower back problems, don’t try this exercise. Talk to your doctor about doing such exercises and get his/her go ahead first.

See this page here on how to do the dead lift:

Dead Lift

Your second question is every body builders dream. However, I'm currently using Dymatize's Muscle Milk and I'm 100% satisfied with the product. It's easy to mix (you don't need a blender) and it's by far, one of the best tasting protein drinks I have tasted. Another good one is NxCare’s ISO XP. This is probably one of the best tasting protein drinks I’ve ever tried and packs a solid 45 grams of protein with each serving.

See my review here:

NxCare ISO Xp Review

You have to remember that timing is everything when it comes to proper supplementation, as well as consistency. However, when it comes to getting the most out of your supplements, timing is the essence. With a good protein powder, you must, I repeat, must consume a drink immediately after weight training.

As soon as you get into the locker room after your workout, take out your protein drink and consume it. This will definitely put a kick in your muscle building program. For more information about how to take whey protein, see my page here:

When To Take Whey Protein

All the best,

Blake