Alcohol

[hitman]

Hello everyone.

I am very well aware that drinking excessive amounts of alcohol are not going to help me with my body building. However I have also read that 1 – 2 alcoholic drinks a day is a healthy amount. Is there any truth to this at all?

I looked up a bottle of Beer on http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/and didn’t find any excessive amounts of anything.
http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/Foods/1400/14003/Food.aspx

In fact judging by this, its healthier to drink a beer then a can of pop..

[Camilo]

There is a difference between drinking a glass of red wine or malt whisky for decreasing blood preassure a little bit and the myth of having any alcoholic drink a day to be healthy. 

Cheers,

Camilo

[Jack Tragic]

This IS true bro! Stay away from ALL soda's. ie; regular OR diet it does not matter! As far as alchohol consumption is concerned...I must tell you that there is not a day that goes by that I do not have some "beverages" (unless I have the flu...then I abstane) OTHERWISE i LOVE TO ENJOY ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE! I might be a little older than you, check my potos and you then tell me if alchohol consumption is hindering my progress...J.

[dancerqueen]

hitman, as in everything in life, excessive amounts of anything can't be good.  HC and I tend to stay away from alcohol for the most part, but probably once a week we will sit back and have a beer or two....definitly not excessive amounts.  However, diet coke is nearly always in our fridge.  As far as muscle growth goes, anything can hinder it from herbs to alcohol to diet coke.   Pre contest, HC and I take out herbs, diet coke, crystal light, alcohol, etc. to help not hinder our progress.  Whatever it is, just be smart about it and don't over indulge yourself like drinking to get drunk every day.   

[Phil]

Herbs?!  Really?  Any examples of what is bad (okay aside from the mary jo).  I never considered the use of herbs to be an issue, but then I have never done a pre contest diet either.

[dancerqueen]

Hey Phil, pulling out herbs from a diet when pre contest just elminates things that can potentially hold one back from being at their best.  The week that I pulled herbs out, HC noticed a tremendous difference in my skin and it's tightness. Pretty crazy to think about the little things that can inhibit us from being at our best, huh?!?!

[hitman]

DancerQueen.
A bunch of my friends smoke marijuana on a regular basis (few times a day) and they also work out quit regularly. Can marijuana stunt their muscle growth?

-hitman

[triggernigha]

ok,i no im not DQ

but

i dont find weed makes any difference to gains, except that if you have a hard time eating, it will definately help improve that situation - you just gotta have control over the quality of foods you will eat when the munchies hit. somethin which may help you get over your pleteau if you find it hard to consume enough cals

weed does increase estrogen but not to the point where it would cause detrimental effect, or all male smokers would be walkin round with titties

alcohol screws with your protein synthesis/absorption which will have more detrimental impact on your gains than weed

alcohol for me is also an appetite suppressant, which again could possibly hinder gains if you are trying to grow

again, all in moderation man, but if you enjoy the occasional toke or a beer, it aint gonna harm you as long as you hit it hard in the gym and follow a strict eating regime - but your friends sound like pretty heavy tokers, a few times a day, if that is everyday, is excessive,  once or twice a week is moderate use according to medical journals, everyday is heavy - trouble with weed is it can cause some temporary unwanted effects to your personality/thoughts - these are not nice and can take a few months of abstinance to correct, sometimes they dont correct depends on how suseptable your brain chemistry is - the chance you take with heavy use.

[dancerqueen]

Triggernigha, I dont think I could have said it better myself....  Moderation is key to almost everything. 

[Jack Tragic]

Triggernigha, I dont think I could have said it better myself....  Moderation is key to almost everything. 

             Yepper! Except hardcore intercourse! 8 or 9 hours non-stop!

[p.s.]

Personally I do not drink as alcohol can hinder the absorbtion of certain nutrients (macro and otherwise), and as far as pot goes shit I grew outta that when I was a kid. If you're gonna be the best BB you can be then there are some things that are just counter productive plain and simple.

as far as diet pop or crystal lite goes they stay in my diet pre-contest as well as huge amounts of plain water.

[Jack Tragic]

DancerQueen.
A bunch of my friends smoke marijuana on a regular basis (few times a day) and they also work out quit regularly. Can marijuana stunt their muscle growth?

-hitman

It's OK to loose a few brain cells...their not gonna help you win a physique show!.................     Just kidding! Don't even go there!!! now!!!

[muscle_n_blood]

Simply put, I don't like anything in my body that will not make me stronger. Alcohol and pot do not make me stronger. God knows, I tried for years.

[dancerqueen]

MnB, I agree with the alcohol thing....I try to really limit my intake, however during the off season, it gets hard!  Especially during the summers when I work part time at a vineyard.   However, the pot thing, I wouldn't know....never tried...never want to!

[muscle_n_blood]

Moderate alcohol use usually doesn't hurt anyone, but I choose to not drink any. It is too easy to fool oneself about what "moderation" is... and, contrary to what some people would tell you, alcohol in more than relatively tiny amounts has little or no medicinal value. Especially when compared to the risk of flying through windsheilds and getting arrested if you overimbibe....both of which I have done, multiple times. Long ago, thankfully......