Minnesota’s Very Own Popeye



Minnesotan Jeff Dabe was born with big arms. That’s not an exaggeration…..just look at his baby photo below. Dabe began arm wrestling competitively as a senior in high school. In fact, he was dubbed “Popeye” by his fans because of his exceptionally large arms and hands. Despite his natural advantage, an injury temporarily halted his career in 1986. However, the father-of-three started competing again in 2012 when he entered a tournament at a local bar. The then 50-year-old thought he might be too old to get back into it, but he ended up winning. Dabe said he doesn’t really have a technique or train much outside work, chores and working out his left hand with a fitness band while watching TV. Instead, he pulls with raw power. To this day, doctors can’t figure out what made Dabe’s arms and hands so big. Health experts at the University of Minnesota ruled out gigantism and elephantiasis, but were unable to pinpoint a cause. Today, Dabe’s forearms measure more than 19 inches in circumference.