A Russian man who has been bragging about his Popeye-like arms after injecting himself with a dangerous chemicals to make them appear bigger has been warned he could end up paralysing them.
Kirill Tereshin, 21, from the city of Pyatigorsk in south western Russia’s Stavrolol Krai region, has been sharing pictures and videos of his bizarre body shape on social media.
But doctors are concerned that injecting enhancement oil, known as synthol, to help develop his huge 24 inch biceps could cause permanent damage.
In the bizarre footage shared online, Mr Tereshin is seen posing to the camera and flexing his muscles while topless. His arms appear from the top of his bicep to his fingertips have a reddish tinge to them, perhaps one of the side effects from his injections.
While dancing, he can be seen tensing his abs and shadow boxing to the camera. In another clip, he can be seen working out in the park by doing dips while his friend films him.
Grotesque: Kirill Tereshin has achieved bulging muscles by injecting himself with synthol
Overboard: Mr Tereshin has used Synthol, a ‘site enhancement oil’ sometimes used by competing bodybuilders in small quantities to enhance muscles
Doctor Yuriy Serebryanskiny said it could end in a disaster for the former soldier.
He said: ‘He could lose movement in his arms, the muscles could turn into ballast that he won’t be able to use to lift things. He could end up disabled.’
And professional powerlifter Kirill Sychev agreed: ‘You can see it in his face, there is something unhealthy about it.
‘This is a person, who needs complex medical help. Not just to drain his arms and detox his blood, but also psychiatric help.’
But Tereshin plans to carry on his risky regime, which also includes working out, and that he one day hoped to break bodybuilding records.
Since leaving the army this summer, Mr Tereshin has embarked on a synthol programme which saw his biceps grow 10 inches in just 10 days.
He began by injecting 250 ml into his biceps but found that would make them grow by no more than an inch.
Huge: The 21-year-old started by injecting a smaller amount – 250ml – but has continued to add to his bulging arms with regular oil injections
Disturbing: Mr Tereshin has managed to get to this size in a very short space of time, only starting the injections at the end of the summer
Mr Tereshin said: ‘In order to reach such a size, you need to inject litres into your arms.
‘I was doing it and getting a fever of up to 40 degrees, I was lying in bed, feeling like I was dying, but then it all turned out fine.’
He added that his body weight had increased from 9st 11lbs to 10st 10lbs since he started the injections.
However, while the oil increases the size of Mr Tereshin’s arms, it gives him no extra strength as the muscles are not really as developed as they appear.
Synthol is injected into muscles to change their shape, and is sometimes used by bodybuilders ahead of a competition to enhance their bodyparts.
The substance, which is not illegal and available in many forms online, is made up of 85 per cent oil, 7.5 per cent lidocaine, and 7.5 per cent alcohol.
Doctors warn that synthol can cause pulmonary embolisms, nerve damage, infections, sclerosing lipogranuloma, stroke and oil-filled cysts or ulcers in the muscle.
Despite this, many bodybuilders use it to enhance their muscles and it is not restricted, with many brands available on the internet.
Pumped up: Synthol, which Mr Tewreshin injects regularly, is made up of 85 per cent oil, 7.5 per cent lidocaine, and 7.5 per cent alcohol
Despite medical warnings about abuse, synthol made up of completely legal ingredients, is not restricted, and is available online