On January 17, 2026, Kali Muscle experienced a serious health crisis while working out at the gym, and Victor Martinez has something to say about it.

Kali Muscle, who is also known as Chuck Kirkendall, fainted while exercising. According to Dvyne Dirkendall, his ex-wife, people nearby, and those from the gym called the emergency and got help.

Later, on January 27, 2026, he disclosed the incident on YouTube, saying that he suffered a "heart attack" that day. The situation caught Martinez's attention, who talked about it in an episode of the Generation Iron podcast. "We had our disagreements before…. whatever it was. But you know what? There’s one thing about me I would never do. I would never ever kick a man down while he’s down, you know?"

He continued, “And I don’t think anybody should do that because right now he’s [Muscle is] going to need our good thoughts. And people should definitely pray for him…. Kali Muscle, you know, we wish you a fast quick, healthy recovery. And we want to see you up, and about so we can argue some more and disagree some more”.

Victor himself once admitted that, early in his career, he gained 60 pounds in just 4 days. According to him, that gain caused him intense water retention and led him to a heart murmur. A similar scare sent Victor to the hospital.

Now, coming back to Kali Muscle, after fighting the second heart attack, the bodybuilder offered a suggestion to all fitness enthusiasts.

Kali Muscle’s warning to the bodybuilding community

Besides Martinez's good wishes for Muscle, the latter also doesn't want anyone to experience what he had gone through. He said, “I’m telling you right now, if you think more d****, more s*******, more intensity means a better quality of life, then you are mistaken because I thought the same thing”.

The 50-year-old also stated, “Muscles don’t mean immortality. A strong body that doesn’t cancel bad choices, and your heart keeps scores, quietly.”

Later in his video, he also emphasized the importance of life and how his family would have been affected if something had happened to him.

Not only Kali, recently Arnold Schwarzenegger said the sport is dangerous, highlighting that bodybuilding can kill people.

Lee Haney, a former eight-time Olympia winner, also sounded alarms with a statement. He believes younger athletes are dying more often due to drugs and the need to present ‘drier’ physiques.

While Muscle's case stands as a real-life example of how the sport can affect an individual's health, do you think people are avoiding bodybuilding because of the risks involved?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Souvik Roy