Meet the Real Life Popeye – This Guy’s Forearm is Probably Bigger than Your Leg and has Made Him a World Armwrestling Champion

Matthias Schlitte isn’t your average Joe. He is literally the real life Popeye who has won 8 National Championships in Germany as well as another 14 on the International level of Arm Wrestling contests, showing that his big arm can be an advantage in this sport.

Matthias has this rare genetic disorder that has made his forearm to grow to 18.2 inches. If this isn’t strange to you, it will be strange when you hear that his other arm is almost three times thinner. He first used his Popeye arm in a local bar arm-wrestling contest.

“In 2004, a little bar in Haldensleben was looking for the strongest arm wrestler in the region – my first tournament and the beginning of my career. Without any knowledge or practise I competed in the amateur-class up to 90kg – being only 16 years old with a weight of 65kg. At first, older and more experienced fighters smiled at me for being so light-weighted, but after winning the contest the opinions changed immediately.”

Doing normal things with so powerful arm, like opening a carton of milk, playing video games and turning off your alarm in the morning can be a little tricky, as seen on the video below.

Being Born with this odd Genetic condition can also have Adverse on your Life as well, but Matthais took it like a champ and decided to focus his life and strength to becoming the best arm wrestler in the world.

Here is another video of him winning the “war of the arms” in 2011 with relative ease :

 
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Schlitte wouldn’t change anything about himself and is grateful for his life saying, “I have spent 10 years traveling around the world doing what I love.”


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