Drugs and the stronglifts lifestyle.

[mjh]

and yes, alcohol is a drug.

Every now and again, forum members address their current or past drug use. I'd imagine that in these forums there are as many different attitudes toward drug use as there are haircuts. Let's discuss.

How has drinking/drug use affected your weightlifting? How has weightlifting affected your drinking/drug use?

[mjh]

from "Carnal's Treatise on Heavy Iron", over at sherdog:

1. Marijuana: I believe that occasional marijuana use can actually help a lifter. Pot is relaxing, and we’ve already established that relaxation is a good thing for a serious lifter. Weed also greatly boosts the appetite of most who smoke it, and we all know more food=good. Marijuana is also useful in getting to sleep, especially for somebody dealing with a lot of stress in their everyday life. Habitual marijuana use (which I’ve been guilty of) will however, fuck up your training. Not because it lowers your test or any such bullshit, but because it will indeed as you’ve been taught to believe, lower your motivation. When I have a fat sack of weed in my drawer, it almost always corresponds with a decrease in the frequency of my training. Let me leave you with this, those of you who yet believe Marijuana is some sort of Green Satan that plans to turn you into a vegi-leather sandal wearing freak with no testosterone: the night before I squatted 700 I was up until 5 AM smoking a boatload of kind cheevas. Food for thought, eh?

[mjh]

drinking: I used to be a heavy drinker. A dozen beers or more at a time, at least once a week. As well as the "sly six pack" on sunny afternoons. Coming to Korea saw me drastically reduce my alcohol consumption, these days it might be a six pack spread over a week. I can count my big sessions on one hand over the last 18 months. Luckily my main drinking buddy has agreed to become my lifting buddy. The motivation for this change is threefold:

1. 14 long years of drinking. time to wise up

2. my relationship with my girlfriend would suffer big time if I kept it up

3. I got into lifting and have noticed how much nutrition affects your success

mary jane: have never been a huge smoker, but there have been brief periods where I've been a consistent one. Always keeping up with a job and/or study, so I'm no dead-beat stoner. No access here in Korea, and I don't miss it. I'll probably indulge once in a while when I'm back in NZ, but I doubt I'll keep anything in the sock drawer, so to speak.

everything else: don't trust what gang-employed drug cooks whip up in their labs. Plenty of mushrooms where I live, but I've seen some friends get pretty weird on those things.

[Tikuane]

The two activities definitely antagonize each other, though you must try having a monster workout then heading to the pub

When I drink I also lose sleep (suprise, I know) not only from staying out late but the poor quality of sleep after a drinking session. With respect to nutrition it's not as disruptive since its once a week at most. Rehydration is a non-issue since I've grown accustomed to chugging my 1 liter water bottle upon waking.

I smoked ciggies for years. Steadily my appreciation for them dwindled to the point where my desire for more conditioning work won. That said, I still indulge when I go out. It doesn't affect conditioning work as close as the next day. In the past I was careful to not smoke for a couple hours before lifting after reading that a cig eliminates nitric oxide in the bloodstream for up to an hour. I feel weak when my veins are flat, heh.

The other smoke is so rare its a non issue.

[hazmat]

Interesting topic. I hope Mehdi has our personal info on lock-down

Dope, reefer, weed, pot, ganja, maryjane, doobage, whatever.... Personally, if you can control your shit, who cares if you smoke? It's nowhere near as bad as alcohol. By "controlling your shit" I mean you have a job, GO TO IT every day, pay your bills/taxes and are otherwise a socialized individual who isn't harming anyone else, knock yourself out. Smoke till your eyes bleed. Enjoy it. Just don't let it own your life. As a disclaimer, I don't advocate the use of it by growing minds. Get yourself through high-school, get a degree, get established...then buy some GOOD reefer

I'm going to disagree with "Carnal's Treatise" only in this aspect; not everyone is affected by reefer the same way. While some people may become lazy and unmotivated, some other people actually become unlazy and motivated by it..... not that I have any experience.

Alcohol, rotgut, firewater, whatever.... fucking evil, but I loves me some beer. I say evil because it's easy to get and easy to abuse. Some people use alcohol to "get by". Some people understand how it's intended to be enjoyed. Most people have probably been both at one point in time or another. In some cases, it's encouraged. Alcohol is physically addictive. Dope's not, I don't care what study you throw at me. I've been addicted, I know what withdraw is and I NEVER feel it with dope(not that I know anything about that).

Everything else(except mushrooms).... as a very, very good friend has told me, "will steal your soul"

I'm a pretty big fan of "most(not all!) things in moderation". I think a happy balance can be achieved if people would just think more about it.

[Love_Deadlifts]

I enjoy a few beers now and then when i'm out with my friends but i am far from what you would consider a "habitual drinker." I have gotten seriously drunk on very rare occasions and i've always regretted it for a few days after. Apparently i can't hold my booze. Never smoked cigarettes, never done any drugs (aside from alcohol). I never drink while i'm in a serious training phase, like when i'm cutting weight for a tournament or something. This definitely helps as i once got down to 177 lbs from my current 195-200 lbs over a month of strict dieting/ not drinking.

[mjh]

Interesting topic. I hope Mehdi has our personal info on lock-down

good point. don't share anything here you wouldn't want your workmates or family reading, especially if you've been plugging stronglifts to everyone that will listen.

[bluestreak]

I'm not a fan of booze - beer or any of the hard stuff. I don't like the taste and makes me feel sick. I had maybe six beers all year, all in a social occasion when I was out. There are many other things I'd rather spend my money on.

I have never used any drugs but I've known a great many people that have. I've seen all the negatives so I never had no desire to touch any of it.

[Rugger]

Alcohol: Like most 18 year olds I know, I've gotten good and drunk on more than one occasion. Early in high school I was stupid and liked drinking way too much vodka, until I got (luckily) mild alcohol poisoning, and now I'm much more sensible. I now drink mostly beer, only during social occasions, and know my limit very well. I just don't drink often enough for it to have any effect on my training at all.

The Chronic: The stuff is everywhere where I live, excellent quality BC bud for cheap and delivered right to my doorstep whenever I want it. I'm a fairly regular smoker, usually a couple times a week, and it's never messed with my training. I would agree with the sherdog thing about occasional use being beneficial, nothing like sitting around watching movies and munching out on rest days.

Hallucinogens: I've done salvia once or twice, and it was interesting, but not something I'd ever feel compelled to do again for a long time. I've taken mushrooms once and didn't care for them at all.

Every other drug can go to hell, I've seen nothing good come of smoking stuff that didn't grow in the ground.

[KingSamI]

i tried weed when i was 16 cause of a girl i liked. wanted to be cool and not a nerd. if i hadnt liked her i probably never would've done any. i dont think inhaled. it was a long time ago. i highly recommend no drugs but again thats just my opinion. i also recommend no strip clubs, its waste of money! get a pole installed in your house and girls will want to come over and dance for you.

[hazmat]

i tried weed when i was 16 cause of a girl i liked. wanted to be cool and not a nerd. if i hadnt liked her i probably never would've done any. i dont think inhaled. it was a long time ago. i highly recommend no drugs but again thats just my opinion. i also recommend no strip clubs, its waste of money! get a pole installed in your house and girls will want to come over and dance for you.

If it's truly this simple, I'm putting one in tonight.

[monkeyboy]

In my mid-late teens, I was a walking pharmacy. And was shit at everything.

In my early 20's I was a police officer, and saw where it comes from, what it all pays for and where it can end up. And its not pretty.

Now, I have the odd beer. I want to be a good example to my boy. And be strong as an ox.

[bigwhat62]

i tried weed when i was 16 cause of a girl i liked. wanted to be cool and not a nerd. if i hadnt liked her i probably never would've done any. i dont think inhaled. it was a long time ago. i highly recommend no drugs but again thats just my opinion. i also recommend no strip clubs, its waste of money! get a pole installed in your house and girls will want to come over and dance for you.

If it's truly this simple, I'm putting one in tonight.

road trip to PA!

[Liv92]

I've gotten trashed once, and that's good enough for me. I really not the drinking type. (I really do enjoy a cold beer though once in a while.)

Weed... Hmmmm my love Haha just playing. But seriously it's the shit, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I smoke like 1-2 every week. (Had it down to once or twice every 2 weeks but I started 'using' more lately.)
Imo nothing beats an intense week or two of busting your ass in the gym, then smoking some (allot haha) weed with a handful of buds. You feel brand new the next day.

That's my view on it. Some people think it's like a hardcore drug and it's sooo bad, tbh idc. For me video games can be more addictive than tree!

[honesty]

Cigarettes and Alcohol were my bad drugs. I used to drink like a fish, and smoke quite a lot. I stopped smoking 5 years ago, but still have a smaller lung capacity than I should. I stopped drinking heavily about 6-7 years ago, a large amount of Guinness a night can do lots to your weight!