Antoine Vaillant talks about how weed can both help and hurt a bodybuilding lifestyle.
As marijuana has become increasingly more legal across the United States, there has been an increased interest in this popular drug. It’s no secret that smoking weed and bodybuilding have occasionally gone hand-in-hand. While it’s not overwhelmingly popular in bodybuilder – there have been athletes who admit to using it before or during training. Or perhaps for help with recovery. In our latest GI Exclusive interview, Antoine Vaillant explains the pros and cons of using weed in bodybuilding.
The public opinion on weed is changing in the United States. This is made evident as the drug has slowly become legal in many states across the US. It seems like only a matter of time before it becomes legal federally. This means that soon, anyone will be able to legally purchase and use marijuana.
There have been bodybuilders who admit to using, or knowing people who use, marijuana during training or to help aid recovery. One element of marijuana, CBD, has become increasingly popular to help with recovery in sports. But beyond CBD supplements, are there dangers to smoking weed and living a bodybuilding lifestyle?
We asked Antoine Vaillant to share his opinion about this popular drug. Could this help with bodybuilding? Or does it do more harm than good? Vaillant believes there are likely very little dangers, from a health and nutrition perspective, when smoking weed or consuming edibles.
He does, however, believe there could be a downside to using weed as a bodybuilder. This has more to do with the psychology behind it. For some, marijuana makes a person sluggish and lazy. This isn’t necessarily true for everyone – but is certainly a side effect. If a person relies too heavily on weed and finds themselves performing subpar workouts, this hurts the overall goal of bodybuilding.
On top of that, smoking weed can lead to the “munchies” – or increased hunger – which could ultimately lead to a bodybuilder cheating on their strict diet. All of these small hiccups can lead to an overall decrease in effective transformation of the physique.
Antoine Vaillant believes, like anything in life, it comes down to the individual to know what is best for their long term success. Anything can become addicting – including marijuana. While it might not be physically addictive – it can be psychologically addictive.
Bodybuilding is a sport about focus, hard work, and determination. Addictive vices can often derail that focus and dedication.
On the flip side, there are certainly positive effects on using weed as a bodybuilder. Some find it a way to focus better during workouts. Others use it to help sleep and recover. Thus giving them more energy for the next day to train harder.
Every single body is different. Just like how one training tactic or diet can work better for one person over the other – the same holds true for something like marijuana. So if you live in a state that has legalized marijuana – it might be worth a shot to see if it helps your bodybuilding routine. But if you start to notice yourself slipping, it might be a good idea to put the habit to rest.
You can watch Antoine Vaillant go into detail about weed and bodybuilding in our latest GI Exclusive interview segment above!
