A Brazilian bodybuilder and TikTok star who went viral for his outrageous 23-inch biceps, Valdir Segato, has died at 55 in Ribeirao Preto.

Vladir who was inspired by the likes of Hollywood actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and fictional character like The Hulk, injected himself with a life-threatening oil, synthol, for years in a bid to achieve his dream body.

He was reportedly warned by doctors that he might suffer nerve damage, muscle disfigurement or even face amputation if he doesn’t stop using the substance but he continued.

In 2016, Segator, who was a former construction worker, said he even wanted to get bigger.

“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,” he said.

Valdir Segato

He also dubbed himself ‘Valdir Synthol’ and shared pictures and videos of his physique on his Instagram page.

Sadly, Valdir has passed away after complaining about having shortness of breath. He was rushed to the North Emergency Care Unit (UPA) – a medical facility in the city, but gave up the ghost.

A neighbor of the deceased named Moisés da Conceição da Silva said,

“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.”

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 told Brazil’s Globo news publication.