The bodybuilder from Brazil dubbed “Hulk” who racked up a following on TikTok by injecting his biceps with deadly oil that caused them to surge to 23 inches has died aged 55.
Valdir Segato ignored health warnings and the risk of strokes and killer infections to create his superhuman aesthetic.
By injecting his pectorals, biceps and back muscles daily with the concoction, he sought to replicate the physiques of his heroes – Arnold Schwarzenegger, and The Hulk.
He also spoke of how proud he was to be known as the “monster” in the local area.
Doctors warned him when he was 49 that his rogue supplement could leave him needing amputation after irrepparable nerve damage.
But Segato, a construction worker, continued in spite of medical advice – claiming that he wanted to get bigger.
In 2016, he said: “They call me Hulk, Schwarzenegger and He-Man all the time and I like that. I’ve doubled my biceps but I still want to be bigger.”
Calling himself “Valdir Synthol” on social media, he would regularly post images and videos of his bulging muscles.
But despite his millions of followers, by the time of his death Segato was living like a recluse with few friends or visitors, neighbours told local media.
One local man said the bodybuilder had asked his mother for help after complaining of breathing issues.
Moisés da Conceição da Silva told Brazil’s Globo : “It was around 6 am, more or less. He came crawling through the back house and came to the front. Then he knocked on my mother’s window, knocked, knocked, then she woke up and he said ‘help me, help me because I’m dying.”
He was rushed to hospital but despite the best efforts of doctors, he couldn’t be saved.
Moisés added: “They put him in the car and then the neighbour went to the UPA. He arrived at the UPA, he fell at the reception, having a heart attack. I think he had a heart attack.”
Moisés’ brother, Jadson da Conceição, told Globo the bodybuilder had been rushed to hospital in the past after having the same breathing issues.
He believes they saved his life the first time by getting him to hospital quickly, but couldn’t on this occasion.
In earlier interviews, he revealed how he used synthol oil – a mixture of alcohol, painkillers and oil.
Despite being warned by medical professionals about the deadly risks, it didn’t stop him sharing his bulging biceps on TikTok (@valdirsegatooficial) where he amassed an impressive 1.7 million followers.
“Who knows, I would think about making my breasts bigger,” he told NeedToKnow.online.
Valdir shared a number of update videos on TikTok, with one receiving 5.8 million views and 36,900 likes, leading some to speculate he’d already gone ahead with his plans.
“They’re different sizes? Who did this to you?” commented one user.
“My girlfriend has the same ones,” added another person.
“You better take them out you’d look better,” said another user.
“This is the first step of how to screw up your whole body,” commented someone else.
For Valdir he previously said his fitness obsession was an outlet after the loss of his father and brother.
He said: “Bodybuilding was a way to forget the problems faced by life.”
Prior to using oil, Valdir had injected anabolic steroids – something he’d been warned could seriously jeopardise his health.
He added: “I get a lot of criticism on social media networks, but I also have millions of fans around the world.
“People who love me and some who hate me, but I can’t please everyone so I take everything on board and try not to worry about other people’s opinions.”