Perceptions of Cannabis in the Fitness Industry

Seven years ago — February 14th, Valentine’s Day, 2014, to be specific — I had my first solo gym session. I don’t think I touched any weights or machines, but I specifically remember this day being the turning point in my life. Soon, I was going to the gym almost every day, and asking, and answering, as many questions as I could come up with.

During these seven years of frequenting various gyms in South Africa, I’ve come across many questionable opinions and fads… they usually involve raw eggs.

Very questionable.

It's not all raw eggs, though. I have also come across some unbelievably valuable information that has been crucial to my fitness journey.

One question I’ve been trying to answer for years: Does using cannabis before training increase focus and allow for a more lucid training experience?

If the answer is yes, this is pretty interesting, especially if you're a cannabis enthusiasts.

Is there, though, any actual benefit to using cannabis as a tool for gains? for shreds? for Instagram followers?

Now, I know an entire generation of people will already have shut this idea down completely - drugs, in public? Utter blasphemy!

Well, we all know that cannabis is, in fact, a great tool for growing your Instagram following, but is it beneficial when working out?

I decided that I needed to study the issue. I conducted a survey to poll stoners who exercise about their use of cannabis and working out.

When we talk about cannabis use, we have to remember that many people are concerned about their respiratory health, especially when exercising, and don’t want smoke in their lungs.

Today, using cannabis doesn't always mean smoking a joint, like it used to. In 2021, cannabis comes in many forms; flower, edibles, resin, hash, oils, ointments, gummy bears, wine, etc. In my survey 37.5% of the respondents said that they prefer edibles over smoking.

At the time of this article, 16 people had completed my survey. Up to now, the only respondents who saw a posting of mine on Instagram. I found 16 “fit-stoners” who completed the multiple choice survey.

Of the respondents, 37.5% exercised once or twice a week, 37.5% exercised 3-6 times per week, and the remaining 25% exercised daily.

From this survey, I learned that an astounding 81.25% of respondents believe that cannabis helps them push through the burn when working out.

Three quarters of them believe they can focus more clearly on training. This would, in theory, mean that they can do more intense exercise, more efficiently, for longer periods of time.

In terms of being “mentally fulfilled” when using cannabis with their workouts, 62.5% reported that they feel more mentally fulfilled; everyone else reported no particular difference. Not a single respondent reported feeling less mentally fulfilled when using cannabis with their workouts.

When asked if they can push themselves harder during a workout after using cannabis, 87.5% answered that they believe this to be true. Of the subjects that did resistance training, 66% believed that they could push themselves harder, and 100% of those who did functional training or cardiovascular exercise believed the same thing.

One participant of the survey reached out to me via my Instagram DMs to share his ‘cannabis infused’ fitness journey. He stated that he had started smoking cannabis and exercising at the same time and initially lost 30kgs, before gaining 20kg in lean muscle mass.

However, cannabis use does have its cons.

The munchies is one of the cons. 75% of the respondents reported that they typically get the munchies. Half of those who get the munchies stated that the munchies are hard to control and can interfere with their progress.

Though the sample size is small and skewed to a small slice of Instagram users, of those who answered the survey seem to be benefiting from it in at least one way.

So, if you’re an adult, and cannabis is legal where you are from, why not try it out? You might just end up changing your whole attitude towards fitness!