Valdir Segato (55): – “The Brazilian Hulk” is dead

The Brazilian bodybuilder Valdir Segato (55) became known for his mildly controversial methods of building muscle.

In his hometown of São Paulo, he was known by the nickname “The Monster” after he started injecting oil into his muscles.

The abnormal bundle of muscles had more than 1.7 million followers on the video sharing app TikTok. Here, Segato diligently shared training videos, and he was referred to as Brazil’s answer to the Hulk.

But on his birthday on July 26, Segato struggled to breathe. Later that day he died. This is reported by the Brazilian newspaper Globo.

Injected oil

Valdir Segato had two great role models in his life: the movie star and bodybuilder legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the fictional Marvel character the Hulk.

But the way the bodybuilder built his muscles was unusual to say the least – not to mention dangerous to health.

He injected an oil called synthol directly into the biceps, chest and shoulders. But that didn’t necessarily make him stronger.

– The oil is the most aesthetic. It models the body and makes the muscles swell – it does not affect the strength, he said in an interview with Metro i 2016.

Very dangerous to health

The effect of synthol provides according to HealthLine a false sense of muscle growth. It is injected deep into a muscle, where the oil encapsulates itself in a muscle bundle.

After repeated injections, the oil volume increases, and the muscle is “blown up” like a balloon.

However, the substance has no medical use and can lead to health problems and death. Several studies show that synthol injections can damage muscle tissue and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Deeper meaning

Segato himself did not care about the critics – he greatly appreciated the attention from social media and believed he had many fans around the world.