Why I Get Bloodwork Every 8 Weeks

I get full bloodwork every 8 weeks. Not because I am paranoid, not because I am running anything crazy, but because bloodwork is the single most important tool for any lifter over 40 who wants to train hard for another 20 years. Training blind is training dumb.

The Panel I Run

Here is the panel I order every 8 weeks:

Complete Blood Count (CBC): Red cells, white cells, platelets. Tells me if my oxygen carrying capacity is good, if my immune system is functioning, and if my clotting is normal.

Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP): Liver enzymes (AST, ALT), kidney function (creatinine, BUN, eGFR), glucose, electrolytes. This is my organ health check.

Full Lipid Panel: Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides. Non-negotiable for me because of my cardiac history.

Hormones: Total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, estradiol (sensitive assay), LH, FSH, prolactin, thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4). This is how I catch hormonal imbalances before they become problems.

Inflammation Markers: hs-CRP and homocysteine. Both are cardiovascular risk markers and both are elevated by poor recovery.

Vitamin D and B12: Both of these sink fast with age and both dramatically affect training, mood, and recovery.

Why Every 8 Weeks

Eight weeks is short enough that I catch changes before they become problems and long enough that I can attribute changes to specific interventions I made in my training, diet, or supplement protocol. Every 4 weeks is overkill. Every 12 weeks is too slow — things can drift badly in 12 weeks.

What I Do With the Results

I keep every single bloodwork result in a spreadsheet with the date, the values, and what I was doing at the time. Over the years this spreadsheet has become my most valuable training tool. I can look at any marker and see exactly how it responds to dietary changes, training changes, supplement changes, or miracle molecule cycles.

For example: when I started running BPC-157 and TB-500, my liver enzymes stayed dead center normal. When I cycled MK-677, my IGF-1 went up 40 percent. When I added TUDCA, my liver enzymes actually dropped below my baseline. This is data. Without bloodwork I am guessing. With bloodwork I am engineering.

How to Get the Testing

In Thailand I use a private lab in Bangkok that runs the full panel for about 150 USD. No prescription required. In the US you can use companies like LetsGetChecked, Quest via Inside Tracker, or find a concierge doc who will write standing orders. It is more accessible than most lifters realize.

The Bottom Line

If you are over 40 and training hard, you cannot afford not to get bloodwork regularly. It is cheap compared to the cost of a preventable health problem. It is the closest thing we have to cheating in the longevity game.

Frequently Asked Questions