i'm not saying it will noticeably effect yout training.i smoke like a chimney and it doesn't effect me cardiorespiratory.my father has been smoking for 40 yrs and he's fucing ripped and decent size too, BUT it may inhinit your gains due to the oxygen deletion in your cardiovascular system.you will still make gains if you smoke but you inhibit your ability to make maximum gains.i've read it in a few journals because it was important for me to figure out.i'm almost to the point of quitting too.i went from 3 packs of marlboro reds a day to two packs of lights to at present moment 1- 1/2 a pack a day.i have 3 friends who saw an accupuncturist, got the nerve in their ear pricked and never smoked again.swear to god.it's definately an option to look into, but for me i was able to significantly cut down.3 packs of reds a day for 5 years is not good.