Marijuana and weightlifting

BR · Newbie Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 2

Firstly, why do so many people try to generalize everyone's experience with pot to their own.... STOP BEING SO NAIVE, you must be too much of a pot head to get a good grasp on reality!

everyone has different reactions to many drugs, prescription and recreational, and there is no one correct statement summing up pot's effects.

YES it can be addicting, mentally and/or physically... If 'you' didn't have a problem abstaining, consider yourself lucky. others aren't so unaffected by it.

One quick fact, cannabinoids bind to CB1 and CB2 neurotransmitter receptors producing various effects, different cannabinoids (or cannabidiols) have different affinities for different receptors, leading scientists do not know all the details! FINAL... BUT, we do know that natural cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) are produced in response to a high physical workload, and is linked with the calming response and vegetative state that happens after long periods of work, or after a fight or flight response. Our body generally does things it has to, so cannabinoids may perhaps benefit post workout recovery in some way... but for the most part, we've evolved as a tough animal already, and perhaps too much cannabinoids may produce undesired effects... if bigger amounts would help us get bigger, faster, stronger, Darwin would agree that we would have already evolved greater levels of endogenous cannabinoids... but who knows.

Consider this, testosterone will help build muscles, but there are HUGELY undesired side effects to overloading on this hormone... we can't procreate, so it hasn't evolved as a natural mechanism. The same may be hypothesized w.r.t. cannabinoids, perhpas on a different scale.

It has been shown to decrease serum testosteron in rats, don't know about humans.. dont' care to check, its not likely going to do you any good, and can 'potentially' cause other hormone balance problems over time, like the adrenaline/insulin/glucagon levels that manage your blood sugar concentrations.

As for the getting better muscle strenght/gains/one rep max... perhaps i can suggest an explanation for the preception of this, or perhaps real benefits.

So... I myself have noticed too that it 'feels' easier to lift heavier weights when high... don't knwo about more reps, i seem to get lazy, but i'll specifically talk about one rep max.

I might call into question the term 'maximal voluntary contraction' which is understood in my field of research (doing my masters in the neural control of movement, and computational neural dynamics) varies according to general brain activity.

So, i might guess (dont' jump on me.. its only a guess) that some mechanism of cannabinoids affecting the neural dynamics and synchronous activities may perhaps actually allow you to focus on producing a greater maximal voluntary contraction. people that have been smoking for a while, and perhaps learned how to take advantage of the different states of mind that pot puts you in, maybe, just maybe it can help the focusing of attention to producing one strong force. Its a guess.

Its well known that there are plenty of CB1 receptors in cerebellar cells, and the cerebellum is largely implicated in coordination, timing, and dynamics of motor control. Its a guess, but it would be interested to see a real study. also consider the different cannabinoids present in weed vary from plant to plant (indica plants will give you a 'stuck to the couch syndrome' whereas sativas generally provoke more energetic states)

Personally, i can memorize the $hit out of a list of terms when i'm high... but then again, someone without tolerance may just zone out and be as useless as a hat full of busted a$$holes.

There's lots of great reading out there.. if you doubt what people write, go do a google search with 'site:.edu' included, or checkout www.pubmed.com for some serious studies.

"The educated man is as superior to the uneducated man as the living are to the dead" -Aristotle ...question everything

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kool98769 · Newbie Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 22 Location: kentucky

weed isnt addictive, its the good feeling that become addicted to. Its one of the only drugs that work like that. But if an addictive thing is added to the weed then it could be addictive i guess.
Weed doesnt help you build muscle. It alters your feelings, not your muscle chemistry

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I smoke all the time before working out. Have for many years now 5 days a week. I don't know if it increases my mucle mass but it does make the entire work out more enjoyable so I work out more often. Pot is not physically addictive and it is not toxic. That's why it is detectable in your system for so long. Your body stores it with normal body fat. No one has ever overdosed or died from smoking marihuana. Ever!

Yo Mama · Newbie Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 1

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I'm very aware of the human body's anatomy and physiology and dont believe that marijuana would have any kind of positive effects on your weightlifting routine. I personally smoke daily and am definately addicted, If you are looking to gain weight it is actually better to NOT SMOKE it because you may think you eat more when youre high which you may but often smoking pot will supress your hunger if you're a daily smoker. When you are sober it is much easier to GAIN WEIGHT, so any potheads READING THIS wanting to BULK UP should definately start by kicking the "daily doobie" to the C-u-r-b! Smoking pot and heavy lifting is Very dangerous I must say, but what ever floats your boat. And not to mention for all you people who do not smoke it, it would not be wise to start now, and honestly it makes you very lazy, I have upmost potential to be a monster (thanks God, genetics , Dad...lol) but im lazy from smoking POT.

Remember
* Smoking pot daily is not good for weightgain
* Being Sober (quitting smoking) actually helps your tastebuds

I understand munchies and all but personally I went from 155-195lbs
In about a year and found the month i quit smoking Pot I noticed a appetite that was great for a muscle gaining workout routine.

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I wouldnt typically smoke weed after a workout since its the time your body needs to rebuild muscle.. When smoking weed the endorphins released in your brain put you in a utopia like mood usually making you lay back and enjoy life. which is all good but when your body is trying to take all the energy is has left to rebuild the muscles you previously burned in the gym it can be slowed down by the amount of THC moving through your body. For those who get the munchies you can end up eating alot of fatty foods that you dont want to be eating while weightlifting. As for the dumbass people who think marijuana lowers test levels in men and raises them in women. I think you people should walk towards oncoming traffic. If it hasnt been proven then dont take your opinion and think that just because it makes sense to you that its true. But to stay on the topic i would say smoking weed before a workout could actually benefit some weightlifters i would just cautious with how much you smoke afterwards

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i just got to add my two cents in on this subject. i'm a major pothead. i havn't smoked for what you might call a long period of time, about 2 yrs now, but i have smoked a hell of a lot, more than you could imagine. i've slowed down now but i was easily smokin an ounce a week on average and that doesn't include parties on the weekends.

it may just be because my tollerance up way high but whenever i smoke and then workout, i can focus a lot more on the task at hand, making my lifts seem easier and more concentrated and controlled. sadly i cant speak much on the chemical effects on your muscles, i can say that easier lifts means more reps/weight which will break down your muscles more and will in turn build them just a little more. this might not be much build but i know i feel a better workout after i smoke then when i dont.

one more note, weed is only addictive and contributes to bad work ethic to the weak minded. if you know your limit and have the determination, it wont make you lazy to the point you cant move from the couch because you're too stoned. as for me, i'd smoke a fatty, get a good buzz, then work my ass off for a few hours. also before i started smoking weed, i was at a waist size of 36 to a 38, now i wear a 32, might even be able to try a 30.

coolfonz84 · Newbie Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

i tend to smoke a little after a workout, not directly after. i usually do my workout, cooldown for a couple of hours, eat a healthy meal, then smoke (usually a bowl but nice nigts require a joint and a drive). i've smoked before a workout but i have a harder time keeping up the intensity for the duration of a workout, kinda weird since some of my best school & creative accomplishments came during a high. if i smoke after a workout, i workout harder and don't miss any. i use it as a kind of motivation. if i don't workout, i won't smoke.

i've been clean for 4 months now but im not gonna stay clean, i love to smoke weed. i just tend to quit once in a while when it becomes too boring. if it gets to the point where my tolerance is too high, i give it up. the first hit after a period of nonsmoking is like the first time all over again. as for addiction, i have the same mentality as the above poster, it's only for the weak minded. if you want to quit, it's quite simple to.

Marijuana and weightlifting

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