Synthol, a site enhancement oil (SEO), is a chemical that some “bodybuilders” use in order to make muscles appear enormous. It is composed of 85 percent oil, 7.5 percent benzyl alcohol, and 7.5 percent lidocane—which makes up 100% of the reason why you should never use the stuff. Synthol abuse can turn muscle into rock, potentially leading to amputations. Yet, some guys will do whatever it takes to achieve a monstrous look.
Do these guys even lift? Maybe a little, but the injections far outweigh their gains.
Brazilian “Bodybuilder” Arlindo de Souza has 29-inch biceps—the largest in Brazil. One might think he could lift a truck with arms this size, but they’re merely a product of synthol injections, admits de Souza. Unsurprisingly, he’s no stronger now than he was before he started injecting. The only thing he’s gained from it is being known as a freak-show in his home town.
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Moustafa Ismail
Moustafa Ismail’s biceps are even bigger than Arlindo de Souza’s, measuring in at a staggering 31 inches. He actually holds the 2012 Guinness World Record for his size—a distinction that has come under intense scrutiny and has been challenged by our own editor-in-chief, Shawn Perine.
25-year-old Brazilian Romario Dos Santos Alves is one of the most infamous synthol abusers. His arms are 25 inches in girth, but according to his doctor, they’ve completely turned to rock.
“I remember the doctor told me that they would need to amputate both arms—they said everything in there, all my muscles, were rock,” Alves said in an interview with Daily Mail. He also exclaims how addictive the substance is, and discourages others from using it.
It looks like he’s realized his mistakes a little too late.
T-Nation onced dubbed Gregg Valentino “The Most Hated Man in Bodybuilding.” An alleged user of synthol, Valentino denies all accusations.
“I don’t take synthol. I was taking propionate and Equipoise into the muscle itself. Synthol just works one way: it stretches the fascia. With Equipoise and propionate you get the double whammy. You get the stretch from the oil plus you get the localized growth from the drugs themselves.”
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Valdir Segato
We don’t know much about Valdir Segato, except that he’s from Brazil and he probably takes the cake for freakishly augmented muscles. You can see some (graphic) video of him here.
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Kirill Tereshin
Synthol is seen as a quick fix for anyone who wants to bulk up as quickly as possible in a matter of days. But this easy-to-attain product has some serious side effects like infected muscles, stroke, and nerve damage—just to name a few.
This message apparently didn’t land well on Kirill Tereshin. He’s allegedly an avid user, and is willing to risk his life for his unnatural muscles, according to The Sun. The 21-year-old “increased the size of his biceps by 26cm (10″) in just 10 days,” the site reported.
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“Rambo”
Not much is known of the “Brazilian Rambo” except for the fact that his biceps literally appear to be melting and festering with infections. Stay away from synthol, kids.
