Fitness influencer and bodybuilder Chuck “Kali Muscle” Kirkendall has taken various measures for his health since a near-fatal heart attack in 2021. In a recent video published on his YouTube channel, Kali discussed downsizing his physique, his diet, and whether or not his image was affected by a sudden drop in weight.
Kali Muscle is an immensely popular YouTuber with over 3.38 million subscribers. His outspoken personality and divisive nature have made him stand out in news headlines. He’s worked out since he was a teenager, and while he was locked up in prison at 19, Kali Muscle has gone to considerable lengths to better his life. However, he paid with more than just time served when he was incarcerated, as he also admits to wrecking his body with junk food.
Even though Muscle isn’t a pro bodybuilder, he’s been involved with the community for a very long time. He is arguably the most outspoken fitness personality against steroids and rampant performance-enhancing drug use. In the past few years, Muscle has seen bodybuilders die at an alarming rate.
Fans took notice of this concerning trend following the death of the late Shawn Rhoden. Within a matter of months, 212 talent George Peterson also lost his life from a suspected heart attack. Last March, the sport was rocked by the passing of Cedric McMillan at 44. Given the tragedies, athletes like Muscle continued to condemn the use of steroids.
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Kali Muscle Talks Mental Health Decline, Downsizing Physique: ‘I’m Focused on Trying to Prevent Health Scares’
Kali Muscle said he’s trying to prevent health scares moving forward. Initially, he was worried dropping weight and downsizing would ‘tarnish his image’ with fans and followers.
“Why my mental health is declining… since Nov. 2021, I had my heart attack. Never in my life I’d imagine I’d go through a health scare, all my life I was focused on trying to prevent any health scares or any things with my heart or body.”
“Now I was only 46 having to take all this medication with my friends and family thinking less of me, with the internet thinking less of me. I knew I was going to have to drop down and I didn’t have a problem with dropping weight but I just didn’t want to tarnish or damage my image. My name is Kali Muscle. My meals down at that point to like two meals a day, still working out, still had good energy at the time.
As time goes on, any time I felt something, like on my left side, I was scared. This is a daily occurrence even to this day, thinking I feel something, if it’s gas. If I don’t eat, I get gassy and it goes straight to the left side,” Kali Muscle shared. “I might have a little anxiety attack sometimes,” Kali Muscle said.
According to Muscle, his ‘infatuation’ with becoming buff started when he was in 9th grade when football coaches didn’t let him play.
“Growing up I was a small kid, I was like 90 pounds, and I can show you this picture of me playing football. I was like 90 pounds in 9th grade so they didn’t let me play. So that started my infatuation with wanting to get buff. It was those coaches in 9th grade telling me i was too small. So from then on I was like possessed with getting big.
I used to force-feed myself almost regurgitating. That was my mission. So that went on throughout my whole life. For three months, I wasn’t on nothing. I wasn’t on no testosterone, TRT, I wasn’t on pre-workouts, I was scared to do anything. I went on this 1 mil a day. Luckily for me, it was easy because I wanted to live.”
“Don’t Get Fat, Don’t Get Over Muscular” Kali Looks Back on Prison Cuisine
After going to prison at 19, Kali Muscle remembered eating a poor diet of Top Ramen, Honey Buns, and Snickers daily.
“I’m going to try what Big Boy do. At 19, I went to prison. And I was eating all the crap food, that’s all they have in prison. Because i contribute my health problem to a lot of Top Ramen, saturated foods, I was eating Honey Buns, Top Ramen, Snickers, I’m talking about 4-5 Top Ramens a day with the seasoning packs. I didn’t know about sodium.
A lot of people not eating to sodium. As we all know, heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S. This goes out to all the young people in the world man. Don’t get fat. Don’t get over muscular, stay lean and mean. You get too big you’re going to have skin issues like me.”
Some have questioned Kali Muscle’s recent decision to eat once daily. He worries that his strict dieting may be affecting his mental outlook as he feels depressed.
“That’s when eating once a day came into question. I’ll be like, do I have enough energy or food in my system to keep up with my kids and do my daily go-to things of working, starting businesses, having to work out.”
“I’m at the place where I should be at. That’s what keeps that motivation and grind. That’s what really combats depression. Just think, all of this is on me. I got to take care of my wife, my kids, business partners, I got to make sure we cool. I got to worry about my health, my heart. There’s all these worries and thoughts.”
This isn’t the first time Kali Muscle has gotten brutally honest about his steroid use and longevity. One of his latest YouTube contributions saw him come clean about 13 years of PED abuse. He shared that his heart attack in 2021 was the tipping point. From then on, he stopped taking steroids.
Kali Muscle believes drugs are to blame for bodybuilding deaths. While speaking to fans on YouTube, Kali stressed that the dangers present in the sport prevented him from going pro. He added that if he had pursued a bodybuilding career, he’d be dead today.
As with most bodybuilders, downsizing later in life can be a tough pill to swallow. Just ask bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also said that it’s been incredibly difficult to accept his physique at 75 years old having once been the best-built man in the world.
RELATED: Kali Muscle Shares ‘Raw Truth’ About Steroids: “If You’re a Bodybuilder, You’re Risking Your Life
You can watch the full video from Kali Muscle’s YouTube channel below:
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