Larry Wheels has lifted weights that bend belief — but even he admitted defeat after taking on a man nicknamed “Popeye”.
In a video shared to his YouTube channel, the 31-year-old bodybuilder and powerlifter travelled to Minnesota to meet Jeff Dabe, the professional arm wrestler who boasts the largest hands on the planet.
At 62 years old, Dabe has become a viral sensation thanks to his colossal forearms — measuring around 20 inches in circumference — and a TikTok following of more than 1.8 million.
Known for chopping wood with ease and splitting logs in videos that have racked up millions of views, Dabe’s unique proportions have led fans to compare him to Wreck-It Ralph and Popeye. But while his size catches attention, it’s his endurance, strength, and arm-wrestling skill that have made him a champion.
Check out their remarkable meeting below:
Dabe trains daily on hand-made, low-impact equipment designed to fit his massive grip. Even something as simple as a dumbbell requires modification — Wheels discovered that quickly when he struggled to lift a custom 3-inch–thick–handled weight in Dabe’s home gym.
Despite his size, Dabe says his strategy is about patience: he admits he’s not as fast as younger opponents, but he thrives in dragging matches out until rivals are “gassed.”
That approach came to life when he sat down opposite Wheels for a first-to-five arm-wrestling showdown.
The contest began in the bodybuilder’s favour. Wheels muscled his way to wins in the opening three rounds, although the third only came after strapping up and pushing to the limit.
Then Dabe proved his point. Drawing on his fabled endurance, the 62-year-old stormed back to claim rounds four and five. Wheels dug deep to edge round six, but by round seven the tide had turned again — Dabe finished strongest, leaving his younger rival drained.
By the end, Wheels threw up his hands: “I’ve got nothing left in the tank,” he admitted – and although they called the match off, Wheels reminded viewers that his opponent was 31 years his senior.
Dabe revealed that he first discovered arm wrestling in 1980, when his high school coach took him to a local benefit event. A 17-year-old Dabe surprised everyone by beating all comers – adults and kids alike.
It wasn’t his first brush with strength. As a teenager he was a wrestler capable of benching 400lbs and deadlifting 500lbs at just 14. Doctors told him to stop lifting after blood vessels began bursting in his arms — but arm wrestling gave him a safer outlet to continue competing, and one
Decades later, he’s still at the table, with national titles to his name and a devoted fan base online. Away from competition, he runs a farm with his wife Gina, and insists his proportions are natural, saying previously: “I was born this way. I’ve never done drugs or injected anything into my body.”
For Wheels — who has shared platforms with strongmen like Hafthor Björnsson and Eddie Hall, and holds powerlifting records across squat, bench and deadlift — facing Dabe was a different kind of test. The younger man’s brute force couldn’t match the veteran’s technique and staying power.
It was a clash of generations: one of bodybuilding’s biggest names against an enduring cult figure of arm wrestling. And if the showdown proved anything, it’s that Jeff Dabe, the man with the world’s largest hands, is more than just a viral sensation — he’s still a competitor no one can take lightly.
Featured image credit: YouTube/@LarryWheels
