When the people at the Guinness Book of World Records released the 57th edition of the most important book to women with facial hair and men with webbed toes back in September, one man was quite pleased to open the book and see his picture next to the title, “World’s Largest Arms”. That man is Milford, Massachusetts’ own Moustafa Ismail, whose upper arms measure an insane 31-inches around, as Brandon wrote about in September. In fact, his arms are so big that people have taken to call him the Egyptian Popeye. You know, that is if he doesn’t mind.
Alas, all is not well in this Egyptian’s land, because people apparently look at a guy whose arms are the size of a place kicker’s waist and say, “Gee, I think that guy used steroids.” And these accusations weren’t just coming from random people. These were message board commenters that were calling Ismail out for alleged indiscretions, and because people on the Internet are experts at everything, Guinness has stripped Ismail of his title for the time being.
Open your heart to us, Moustafa. Open as wide as your cartoonish arms.
Strangers claimed online that he used steroids or had implants in his arms. Others speculated that he might have injected his muscles with a synthetic oil substance, synthol, used by bodybuilders to fluff muscle tissues.
“It is hurtful,” Ismail said, noting that he has no scars that would have resulted from surgery and that supporting a wife in the U.S. and family members in Egypt doesn’t leave him with spare cash to buy pricey synthetic oils. (Via CBS Boston)
So does the man with the world’s most controversial largest arms just sit around feeling sorry for himself while eating giant balls of creatine? No. He goes to Japan to have his arms tested on a reality TV show. But even when those TV doctors cleared him of any steroid use, people still doubted him. That includes Guinness, which is employing its own study. Until those results come in, though, Ismail is a tainted man. Channel that hate, Moustafa.
He lost a night of sleep but then decided the criticism “is motivation for me — it’s not something that’s gonna put me down.”
Good for you, bro with the giant arms. Now how about you strike some poses for the ladies?
