Jam PressA bodybuilder who injects oil into his biceps has shared a video revealing the extent to which he has changed over the years.
The startling footage shows how 48-year-old Valdir Segato of Sao Paulo, Brazil, went from being a skinny young boy to a bodybuilder with enormous, swollen arms.
You can watch the transformation video for yourself below:
Reportedly driven by becoming the biggest guy on his street, Valdir is now almost unrecognisable from the small-framed teenager in the video.
The footage goes on to show how Valdir bulked up considerably, building his muscle mass by hitting the gym. And then things took a dramatic turn.
Determined to obtain an even larger physique, Valdir began injecting his chest, biceps and shoulders with synthol, a potentially lethal cocktail of oil, alcohol and painkillers.
Since 2013, Valdir has been giving himself regular – and extremely dangerous – injections of synthol, resulting in his biceps doubling in size to a colossal 23 inches.
Jam PressDoctors have warned Valdir’s addiction could well lead to an early death, with synthol capable of causing nerve damage, infections, ulcers and strokes.
However, Valdir has refused to take heed of professional medical advice, and remains hell-bent on pumping up his body to gargantuan proportions.
Valdir regularly shares photos and videos of his pumped up body with his 18,600 followers on Instagram, many of whom refuse to believe they are looking at real pictures.
Even though Valdir often captions his pics ‘NO PHOTOSHOP’, many followers have been left unconvinced and Valdir has received more than his fair share of criticism.
Jam PressOne sceptical user wrote, ‘Nice Photoshop’ while another said, ‘Your biceps are fake’. Another advised him to stop the injections, pleading, ‘Please stop. u look so ugly’.
However, there are those who admire Valdir’s inflated look, with one follower admiringly writing, ‘Absolute beast of a transformation’, while another said, ‘Well done bro’.
Despite apparently being aware of the grave dangers of synthol, Valdir has no plans to cut down on his use, and speaks openly about abusing the injections.
On one post he wrote:
I bath with cinthol soap (a brand particularly popular in India) and inject synthol into my body.
Jam PressIn recent days, the risks of synthol have been brought to public attention after the death of Ronny Rono, a bodybuilder who developed a myriad of health complications after being suspected to have injected the substance.
As reported by the Sunday Standard, Rono denied ever using the injection in previous interviews, but stated somebody could have injected him with the substance during his time struggling with alcoholism.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.