A Bay Area Gym Wants You to Get Sweaty and Stoned

Outside Magazine ^ | February 24th, 2017 | By: Chris Colin

[Mariner]

To understand what inspires Jim McAlpine, a fit and exuberant 46-year-old, you must conjure an image of the American stoner. Are you picturing someone heavy-lidded, couch-bound, and struggling to make an animated GIF of that Big Lebowski scene without knocking his bong off the coffee table? That stereotype drives McAlpine crazy, and he’s made it his mission to change it. This spring, the surfer, skier, and weed lover will open the world’s first cannabis fitness center in San Francisco.

Power Plant Fitness will be a premier gym, McAlpine says, not just a hangout for potheads. Though, to be clear, there will be weed. He’s still hammering out the details, but McAlpine envisions offering cannabis performance assessments, in which trainers help determine how the plant can help an athlete work out before guiding them through weed-assisted fitness plans. In addition, McAlpine hopes, members will be free to buy and consume cannabis on site, including Power Plant’s own line of edibles, which he says are “made for pre-workout focus and post-workout recovery.”

McAlpine believes that fitness will increasingly be a pillar of the ever exploding cannabis industry. “If you use it right,” he says, “cannabis takes the things you love and lets you love them more. With fitness that can help get you into the zone, into eye-of-the-tiger mode.”

The vision isn’t completely far-fetched. While studies dating back to the 1970s have shown that marijuana use slows reaction time and diminishes motor skills, more recent research suggests that the chemical compounds in cannabis can help increase your pain threshold, reduce anxiety, and combat inflammation.

McAlpine says he’s seen enough proof—both in his own workouts and in fellow athletes—to press ahead.

[Mariner]

Serious muscle heads have been doing this for decades.

How else can you consume a whole chicken, a dozen eggs and a steak every day?

And you still have to sleep for 12hours.

Just ask Ahnold.

[Pilgrim's Progress]

There you go! Sweat and Stoned!

but . . . what about the resulting munchies? Seems to me that a 16 oz. bag of Cheetos is going to interfere with the weight-loss aspect of the gym.

[Cicero]

It’s a triple play. Get money for selling weed. Get large fees for fitness training and gym equipment. Get kickbacks from recovery clinics for sending customers their way.

[Mariner]

Munchies are a desired side effect.

[GnuThere]

And a kickback from the nearest convenience store when they buy junk food on the way out.

[LouAvul]

Idiotic concept. Just another rationalization for addicts. Anyone smoking pot is harming their health, esp their long-term mental faculties. Not to mention the crap pot growers (heavy metals, etc) are introducing to the process.

This current stuff is nothing like what they had in the 60s. But, FR libtardarians will continue to applaud and defend their addiction.

[dfwgator]

[Mariner]

Arnold said he could not have become Mr Universe without it.

[LibWhacker]

This spring, the surfer, skier, and weed lover will open the world’s first cannabis fitness center in San Francisco.

Shortest-lived business in history. The whole concept is goofy. I was a gym rat for years. Anything that adversely affected my concentration would mess up my workouts. I don't know any serious weight lifter who would try to work out when messed up on booze, drugs, etc. This guy should lay off the drugs before he draws up his next business plan!

[Mariner]

How is it possible for somebody to eat 400 grams of protein a day?

TWELVE hours of sleep per day?

[a fool in paradise]

Tommy Chong was into body building. He still is a heavy lidded stoner.

[Mariner]

I agree.

Working out while stoned is a bad idea. You’re likely to get hurt if you cannot focus on form.

But I understand why a committed bodybuilder would want to get high after.

[TheStickman]

“This current stuff is nothing like what they had in the 60s.”

True. This means I don’t need to use as much cannabis to treat my anti-depressant withdrawal syndrome.

“But, FR libtardarians will continue to applaud and defend their addiction.”

Using cannabis does not = addiction. That’s a prohibitionist fallacy. It is true that many on FR support freedom & individual liberty. This includes those of us who support the 10th Amendment & who don’t believe in supporting the irrational actions of the nanny state. Decriminalize it federally & let the states decide.

And no, I do not support any addictions. Treat cannabis like alcohol & let people decide for themselves, k?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

And you get radioactive beer.

[Mariner]

“And you get radioactive beer.”

Huh? Are YOU high?

[MUDDOG]

Big Lebowski

And White Russians.

[blueunicorn6]

If it’s so great, he should give it away for free.

[Does so]

At a fisherman's venue, I overheard a Brit talking about their government's cannabis prohibitation during WWII. (And that was THEN!)

I've been meaning to look it up, but will get back to you.

[jjsheridan5]

Shortest-lived business in history. The whole concept is goofy... This guy should lay off the drugs before he draws up his next business plan

Actually, not really. Gyms don't make much money off of gym rats. In fact, they generally prefer their business to go elsewhere, because they often end up costing the gym money. The ideal customer a) never goes; and b) never cancels their membership. Planet Fitness has created a hugely successful business out of catering exclusively to these types of customers, even to the point of implementing policies specifically designed to get gym rats to quit their gyms.

In fact, the real question to ask about his business model is this: does he run the risk of having gym usage rates go too high? (Pun unintentional).

[VanShuyten]

“... what about the resulting munchies?”

I bet he’s got a full service snack bar in his floor plan.