Number 9 Kirill Tereshin
After leaving the army, Russian man Kirill Tereshin went on a Synthol program through
which his arms grew 10 inches within 10 days. As a result of abusing the process, Tereshin would
have dead flesh removed from his arms and faced the risk of having his limbs amputated. Synthol
is often characterized as a muscle-building steroid but it’s actually entirely different.
Anabolic steroids work in a manner similar to testosterone and increase protein within cells,
particularly in skeletal muscles. Synthol is mainly made up of oil, with low concentrations
of lidocaine and alcohol. It’s injected into muscles strictly for cosmetic purposes
and, unlike anabolic steroids, plays no role in building functional muscle. Tereshin,
nicknamed “Bazooka” in his home country, had injected nearly a gallon of Synthol into each arm
before they started turning purple. The limbs were horribly swollen, particularly when viewed
in contrast with his slim frame. Before long, doctors told Tereshin that abscesses had started
to form and he was facing death or amputation. He had a high fever while experiencing severe pain
and weakness. The Synthol had saturated the muscle tissue and killed it by blocking blood
flow. Doctors removed 3 pounds of dead muscle from Tereshin’s artificially enlarged biceps,
with great precision so as to maintain the function of his nerves and veins. It would be
the first of several planned surgeries. Number 8 Synthol Rambo
While the mainstream attention that Synthol has generated can mainly be attributed to
instances of horrific abuse, the substance has even been used by professional bodybuilders.
In competitions, the aesthetic and mass of the muscle is critical. Therefore, some bodybuilders
will inject it in areas of their body that aren’t as developed. The oil will rapidly enhance muscles
that are lacking. It’s also worth mentioning that, in most countries, using Synthol isn’t illegal.
The risks associated with it, however, are many and shouldn’t be overlooked or taken lightly.
It can cause stroke, nerve damage, infections and pulmonary embolisms as well as cysts, granulomas
and ulcers in the tissue. Since the muscle isn’t properly developed, gravity may cause it to droop.
Such is the case of “Synthol Rambo”. He went viral on Brazilian social media due to his arms,
which are obviously ill-equipped to handle his Synthol use. The man, who emulates the
action film character for his followers, has arms which look as if they’re melting over his elbows.
Some experts have argued that his biceps and triceps could have already undergone
severe trauma and may have become infected as a result of being overwhelmed by the oil.
Number 7 Arlindo de Souza While aware of the dangers
associated with injecting oil in his body, Arlindo de Souza considered them a risk worth taking
for having the biggest arms in Brazil. While the rest of de Souza’s body was average-sized,
his traps and 29-inch arms were enormous. De Souza had already been taking a cocktail of hormones,
steroids and horse vitamins when he was introduced to Synthol by one of his gym friends.
Seeing how fast the oil bulked up his muscles, de Souza became addicted. He grew to an abnormal
mass that earned him a reputation in his hometown of Olinda, where he was nicknamed “The Mountain”.
His muscles became so large that they were deformed and unnaturally shaped.
However, his strength hadn’t increased as the man maintained the same workout regimen.
De Souza eventually stopped injecting the oil as more of his friends started experiencing
adverse effects. Some developed infections that led to amputation while one of his friends,
Paulinho, lost his life. It convinced de Souza to change his perspective on the filler which
he ultimately claimed that he didn’t recommend to anyone. Still, de Souza admitted that the
temptation to inject more oil was always there and that maintaining control was a constant battle.
Number 6 UK Bodybuilder Injects Coconut Oil An unnamed man from the UK went to the doctor
with a ruptured tricep as the result of abusing various muscle enhancements. Four years prior,
the 25-year-old had taken up bodybuilding and was going to the gym regularly. Over the course
of several months, leading up to the doctor visit, the man experienced severe pain in his arm and had
trouble moving it. An ultrasound then revealed a tear in the tendon that connected the bone,
near the elbow, to the triceps. The doctors also noticed that multiple cysts had formed
in his arm muscle. When asked about it, the bodybuilder admitted that he’d been injecting
coconut oil into his muscles, to increase their definition and size. He’d also been
using anabolic steroids which, in combination with the oil, had stiffened the muscle and caused the
rupture. The bodybuilder had a rather unsettling history of abusing his health for the sake of
muscular gains. He’d injected insulin, without a prescription, which led to him experiencing
seizures. He’d also injected himself with vitamin B12 and developed a bacterial infection.
The operation on his triceps was a success but, according to his medical report, the man wouldn’t
be dissuaded of his risky bodybuilding practices. Number 5 Moustafa Ismail
At one point in time, Massachusetts-based bodybuilder Moustafa Ismail held the Guinness
World Record for the largest arm circumference. At a staggering 31 inches, Ismail’s upper arms
were larger than some people’s waists. However, Guinness subsequently stopped
accepting claims for arm proportions because they came with too many variables to be undisputed.
This basically meant that some strength athletes actually trained to attain gigantic mass while
others opted to inject Synthol and the ensuing debate would find no resolution. Ismail was,
as argued by many experts of the fitness industry, in the category of athletes who injected Synthol.
He was referred to as the “Egyptian Popeye” and claimed his enormous arms were strictly the
result of high food and water intake as well as a grueling workout regimen. Still, the outstanding
difference between his arms and the rest of his average sized body warranted suspicion.
Moreover, such an extreme level of Synthol use would undoubtedly have severe complications in the
long run. It’s not uncommon for Synthol users to become addicted in equal parts to the injections
as well as the attention that they receive for their swollen muscles.
For Moustafa, a former world record holder, the desire to maintain his mass would cause him to
further endanger his health. Number 4 Romario dos Santos Alves
Bodybuilder Romario dos Santos Alves turned to Synthol injections in order to model his body
after that of The Hulk, his favorite superhero. He’d eventually struggle with a Synthol addiction
that almost cost him his life. Dos Santo Alves started injecting the oil in 2012,
after moving from his hometown to Goiania, in Brazil. He was introduced
to the filler by his friends at the gym. The bodybuilder would inject the oil constantly,
until his arms ballooned up to 25 inches in circumference. They became full of rock-like cysts
and the man could no longer inject himself with regular needles.
Still, he needed his Synthol fix so he bought and used the strongest needles on the market,
a type that was only used on bulls. After learning about the dangers of Synthol, his wife
made it clear that he had to choose between their relationship and the risky substance. Dos Santos
Alves became severely depressed and even tried to take his own life, when his wife was 6 months
pregnant. He was subsequently removed from his job and hospitalized. He decided he had to give up the
filler that had already begun to cause him severe health problems. Dos Santos Alves was in constant
pain and almost suffered kidney failure as a result of the infection. Doctors told him that
the only course of action was to amputate his arms but they were ultimately successful in removing
the cysts and the bodybuilder kept his limbs. Number 3 German Bodybuilder Injects Sesame Oil
For 8 years, an unnamed semi-professional German bodybuilder injected himself with sesame seed
oil on a daily basis. This caused irreversible damage to his muscles. He’d developed a systemic
infection and red swellings over his right arm, which prevented him from lifting weights.
The man had injected the sterilized sesame seed oil at numerous intramuscular locations in order
to get bigger muscles. An MRI was performed and it revealed over 100 intramuscular oil cysts.
Septic surgery of his upper right arm showed that normal muscle was almost completely absent and
there were no signs of muscle regeneration. The mutilation to his muscular tissue was so extensive
that, years later, the man still experienced pain and was unable to perform weight training.
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Instagram and reach out to us there. Number 2 Valdir Segato
Brazilian bodybuilder Valdir Segato abused Synthol in order to turn himself into, what some have
called, the “Real-life Hulk”. As a youth, Segato was addicted to drugs and had become severely
emaciated and he was called hurtful nicknames like “Skinny Dog”. Segato vowed to get big. He gave up
drugs and went to the gym but soon found that Synthol was the quickest route to the bulk he
wanted. He became addicted to the substance, which he kept injecting into his body, into his 50s.
He went from 120 pounds to 177, with oil accounting for most of that extra weight.
His chest, arm, shoulder and back muscles became incredibly swollen. Even though his arms measured
23 inches and barely clung to his bones, Segato wanted to get even bigger. He was warned by
doctors to stop injecting Synthol as he faced irreparable nerve damage and even amputation.
Regardless, Segato was entirely committed to his dangerous lifestyle and used the social
media handle “Valdir Synthol”. He reveled in the attention he was given and the reputation he had
as a “monster” on the streets of Sao Paolo. Number 1 Ronny Rono
Kenyan former bodybuilder Ronny Rono struggled with severe depression after
his body was disfigured as a result of suspected Synthol injections. His chest was asymmetrically
swollen while his arms were wasting away, having become mere flaps of skin. According to his family
members, Rono would rarely get out of bed and couldn’t look at himself in the mirror without
breaking down in tears. Rono claimed he had no recollection of ever injecting himself with oil.
Still, he admitted to being a heavy drinker during his bodybuilding days and believed it possible
someone else had injected him. Rono’s doctors claimed that his muscles showed signs of a severe
reaction to Synthol. Aside from disfigurement, the 30-year-old bodybuilder suffered from
a myriad of other associated afflictions that led to his death, in November of 2019.
Thanks for watching! If there weren’t any adverse effects, would you still inject Synthol to appear
more muscular? Let us know in the comments section below!