Being an enhanced bodybuilder I realize I dip into the higher risk taking category with my health, but I never want to be ignorant of the red flags along the way. With health monitoring we can do a lot to prevent a catastrophe from striking and saying one day “I don’t know how this stroke, heat attack, kidney failure, etc happened?”

Think of your body as caring for the vehicle you drive. You get in buckle your seat belt, you don’t plan to wreck but its a safety measure. You have a check engine light that tells you to change the oil, low tire pressure, etc. all in place to warn you to change an issue before it really hurts the vehicle. We also have prevention like oil changes and transmission fluid changes. Then a mechanic might say “hey John oil is done, but this air filter is starting to get dirty, time to change it.” All these things keep us on the road and prevent us from wrecking or having a motor failure.

What happens with vehicle maintenance though? Eh I will hold off changing that air filter. Check engine light is on, but the car “feels” okay, no rush there. Oil is past due but I can get another 500 miles out of it. These seem minor, but they add up and take years off the vehicles life or catastrophe strikes early and the motor blows.

You are similar to a car, but have to make your own system to monitor for red flags and this is what I do:

*Weekly blood pressure and blood glucose check
*Labs and Urinalysis every 10 weeks
*Echocardiogram and Coronary Calcium Score annually

These are my safety checks in place. Imagine never checking any health marker. Its like driving a car and never changing the oil or wearing a seat belt, put some black tape over that check engine light we won't need it. Literally only a matter of time before something happens.

A less extreme situation is all to common as well. Meh I am not going to check blood pressure this week it has been good. I will get labs next week I was too busy this week. Echocardiogram I won’t need that till I am a lot older. Sound familiar? All that neglect adds up and it is never a wonder when a bodybuilder ends with heart, kidney or liver issues. The signs are there, but they are ignored or neglected.

Lets bodybuild but keep our health monitoring system in place.