How Does Cannabis Impact Weight Lifting?

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Dear Stoner: I recently learned that Arnold Schwarzenegger smoked weed in his early bodybuilding days. With all the advancements, how could bodybuilders use cannabis to their benefit today?
Terminated

Dear Terminated: This question took me down quite the rabbit hole. Arnold Schwarzenegger used to work out at Muscle Beach in Los Angeles with Tommy Chong, of all people. Chong used to be pretty jacked, and he and Arnold have shared stories in past interviews about getting stoned with each other. Chong even convinced Arnold to take a few small tokes before working out, but the Governator has said he "stopped smoking from one day to the next" and eventually cautioned his son not to do it. Chong obviously went the other direction, and both men have done well. That doesn't mean we should lean into one path or the other, though.

click to enlarge

Unsplash/Victor Freitas

Cannabis can help weight lifters in several ways, from fighting inflammation and relaxing sore muscles to enabling sleep and caloric intake. All of that is accomplished with THC edibles or smoking weed, but competitors, passionate bodybuilders and non-smokers have to be more discerning than Chads and Brads pumping up their biceps for the summer. Cannabis lotions and non-intoxicating CBD edibles are easy entry points for athletes worried about drug tests, but cannabinoid-rich edibles or tinctures made with CBD, CBN and small amounts of THC are preferred, thanks to a fuller spectrum of therapeutic effects.

Just make sure you don't eat or sleep yourself out of any progress. It's a real risk.

Send questions to [email protected].