Jeff Dabe from Minnesota has earned himself the nickname Popeye from fans as he aims to become the world arm wrestling champion

The American wrestler’s monster forearms measure 19 inches (49cm) in circumference, with his hands big enough to fit a basketball in each hand.

The size of Dabe’s arms are so peculiar that tests were carried out to try and discover what makes his arms so large, as photos show that he was born with oversized limbs.

The University of Minnesota conducted tests and looked for signs of gigantism and elephantiasis, but the tests proved that this was not the case.

Given the size of his arms, it naturally made sense that he would compete in arms wrestling tournaments and as a youngster.

He said, per a report in The Daily Mail:

"I arm wrestled as a senior in high school. The fans way back then were the ones that named me Popeye."

Having made a promising start in the sport, Jeff popped his right arm during a contest in 1986 which caused him give up the sport prematurely.

However, in 2012, Jeff decided to start competing seriously again - this time using his left arm.

He went on to become the State Champion for Minnesota, which booked him a ticket to compete on the World Armwrestling League (WAL) circuit.

Jeff said: "Thanks to the World Armwrestling League I am now competing with people from all over America.

"It's so fun to travel to places we wouldn't normally go.

"I was always good at arm wrestling, but the size of my hands did shock people at first - I had the strength to back it up. People freak out when they see my hands in real life."

The Armwresting League has seen him and wife visit Las Vegas and gain further popularity amongst his fans, which has pleased his wife Gina.

Gina said: "I always encourage Jeff no matter what he does - and it's so fun. Everyone thinks Jeff is really funny and we do lots of goofy things together. This is just the next phase.

"I love the tournaments, and he gets me on aeroplanes to nice hotels and beautiful places. We are so proud of him."

As the old adage goes, if you’ve got it, flaunt it and in the case of Jeff, he has definitely made the most of his natural assets.