Big Mo Moustafa Ismail, the real-life Popeye, and his 31 inch biceps enter Guinness Book of World Records

Moustafa Ismail, an Egyptian-born bodybuilder, has just had his 31 inch biceps crowned the biggest in the world.

Moustafa Ismail, 24, has spent ten years pumping iron twice a day and his upper arms now have the same circumference as a grown man’s waist.

But despite his cartoon proportions he hates spinach.

Instead “Big Mo” eats as much as 3 lbs of chicken, 1lbs of steak or fish and four cups of almonds washed down with two gallons of water and three litres of protein shakes.

The bodybuilder was so dedicated to bulking up his arms he moved his whole family to America to gain access to better workout equipment.

The muscle man said: “People always say you remind me of Popeye the sailor man.

“This makes me laugh as the truth is I don’t have any spinach in my diet – I can’t stand the stuff.

“Actually I think my arms are now bigger than the cartoon character.”

Moustafa Ismail, who lives with his wife Carolina, started bodybuilding ten years ago in a bid to keep fit.

But after hitting the gym he received hundreds of compliments on his bulging biceps and decided to concentrate all of his efforts on making them even bigger.

Five years ago, when he failed to win a place in the Egyptian bodybuilding team he swapped his home country for the USA.

He now trains at least twice a day and can lift an incredible 500 lbs.

The gym fanatic admits to taking protein shakes to help with his bodybuilding but puts his bulging body down to genetics – his father was an Egyptian wrestler.

He has a daily exercise regime of 5:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m. during which he concentrates on cardio, strength-training and body sculpting, using heavy and light isolated weights.

When Moustafa Ismail is not pumping iron he’s pumping gas at the two petrol station he owns near his home in Massachusetts.

“Working out makes my mood better. You’re just focusing.

“And I like that in this type of sport you can see your improvement in your shape,” he says.

“I know they are growing, my chest, my shoulders, my arms. I love weights.”

Moustafa Ismail’s biceps have now been confirmed as a record and he will appear in the Guinness Book of World Records 2013, which is launched in London today.

BIG MO’S DAILY ROUTINE

A minimum of three hours of training, at least twice a day

• strength training

• body sculpting

• Weightlifting using heavy and light isolated weights

Daily diet includes:

• 3lbs of chicken

• 1lb of steak or fish

• 4 cups of almonds

• various sources of carbohydrates

• 2 gallons of water

• 3 litres of protein shakes