Fitness influencer Kali Muscle, real name Chuck Kirkendall, is leading the charge against the high consumption of steroids in bodybuilding. As someone who faced serious health consequences from using gear, he keeps an open attitude about the cost of pursuing a career in bodybuilding. In a recent interview with Escape Fitness, Kali revealed the steroids he took as a competitor and what happened the day he had a heart attack.
Kali Muscle found his passion for working out and fitness in his teenage years. He grew up playing many sports and earned a college scholarship. However, he found himself on the wrong track after the death of his brother and got sentenced to 11 years in prison where he found solace in lifting heavy weights. He managed to gain significant muscle mass inside the prison on a diet made up of foods like Top Ramen, honey bars, and more.
After getting released in 2010, Kirkendall decided to fulfill his potential in bodybuilding and the world of entertainment. He dominated the Mr. California contest in 2012 and took home the top prize. He quickly found success as an actor as well, where he was featured in a range of commercials, music videos, and films. His story of turning his life around has inspired many.
Kirkendall has battled with a string of major health issues over the last few years. He suffered a heart attack due to the left artery being completely clogged in Nov. 2021. Fortunately, he survived and managed to recover from the incident. He followed up with an update on how his life changed after the heart attack and issued a stark warning to bodybuilders about not ignoring warning signs that their bodies present.
In April 2022, Kirkendall opened up on his experience using PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs) in his days of competition. He argued against pursuing bodybuilding as a career due to the health risks that come along with it. He went as far as to label bodybuilding the ‘most unhealthy’ sport of all. Then, he doubled down on his stance by offering his take on the dangers of abusing steroids for sport.
Kali Muscle recommended fitness enthusiasts stay away from competing in bodybuilding last August. He argued against idolizing the unnatural look presented by Open competitors. He confessed to having regrets about competing and warned others not to become like Walker and Jacked to preserve their health.
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Kirkendall believes bodybuilders are so focused on using drugs to improve their chances of winning a show that they don’t mind sacrificing their health in the long run. He doesn’t find the rewards to be worth the risk anymore and expressed contentment with moving on from the sport.
Kali Muscle reveals what happened the day he had a heart attack
In a recent YouTube video, Kali Muscle shared what happened the day he suffered the heart attack.
Muscle highlighted the change in his diet on the day. Initially, he thought it was heartburn and only found out later that he had a heart attack after visiting the hospital.
“That day I had a heart attack, day was going good. I got some dental work done the day before and they gave me some Vicodin and the next day I took one,” said Kali Muscle. “Day was going good. At night I ate something I never eat. I had some beef, I think it was one of those Stan efferding meals, beef and rice. I was on his meals, the vertical diet at the time. I was eating a lot of beef at the time. I never eat ice cream but that night I had an ice cream sandwich and I’d already ate two of those beef meals. I ate that, went to bed, at midnight I just [got up] feeling like I got heartburn. I was panicky so I was like hey Helena get me some anti-acid to kill heartburn. She’s scrambling around, gave me some Pepto-Bismol, still was burning.
“We looking up remedies on Google. I crouched down on the couch and it was relieving the feeling so I just stayed down like that and was just off. Then finally after about 30 minutes, I had vomited and she took me to the hospital. I technically think I might’ve died during that drive there because I’d blacked out on the drive there. When we got to the hospital, I’m up energetic again, we go in there, they hook me up, they’re like, ‘oh we got to take you in.’ I was like why? I don’t feel bad it’s just heartburn isn’t it? And they were like nah, you have a heart attack. I was thinking conspiracy theory at this point.”
He opened up on the experience of getting surgery and the fear he continues to feel.
“In 10 minutes in that hospital I was in surgery. They went through my groin, said I needed a stent and I was woke all this time while they doing surgery it’s like you loaded on I don’t know what. As they giving me surgery, I’m vomiting like the movie The Exorcist all on the walls while they doing it. At the hospital, it all just seemed like a dream. I didn’t believe it. To this day, my body reminds me now because it’s just fear and thoughts. It’s a messed up position to be in because now everyday all day I’m thinking about dying.”
Kali reveals the steroids he took in his bodybuilding days
Kali Muscle laid out the steroids he utilized while competing in bodybuilding shows. He believes his poor diet combined with gear contributed to his artery getting clogged.
“11 years in prison, Top Ramen, four or five a day, I used to have headaches all the time. I didn’t know about sodium. I was eating that, honey bun, snickers, all this high-cholesterol food not to mention I used to get migraines when I was a kid from age of 15 to 31. So, it was some health going on there.
“Just eating all that bad food and then to top it off with bodybuilding with steroids; HGH, IGF, insulin, that’s clogging everything up. You clogging everything up. Then I was getting warnings and doctors would be telling me my blood pressure elevated for years. I thought I was fine. I keep on just putting it off. When I moved from Burbank to Las Vegas, my feet and ankles swelled up and would just stay swole. I’m talking abnormal.”
He revealed he would cycle off steroids and only stopped using them completely after the heart attack.
“I was 34 when I started. 34 to I really didn’t stop until the heart attack. But all those years, I would get off three to four months so I called my side cycling off. I’m thinking I’m not doing what these other guys are doing, this amount because I was genetically gifted. That HGH, IGF, insulin, that’s clogging you up and it hardens your arteries. I would try to do like the old school bodybuilders, six seven months out a year then get off clean.”
“Tren is the worst. Tren, deca, anadrol, D-bol, they’re the worst. They’ll clog you up so fast. Insulin will kill you.”
He continues to take a small dose of testosterone to sustain his muscle mass.
“A small dosage, I do like half a CC every other week. I do like 250mgs a month and that’s just to sustain… just some testosterone.”
The last time fans heard from the influencer, Kali Muscle reflected on his 13-year-long use of PEDs. He claimed he consumes only one meal a day and pushed back on eating tons of food to bulk up.
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