A Belarusian man, dubbed the world’s “most monstrous bodybuilder,” who ate seven meals a day, has reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 36. Illia ‘Golem’ Yefimchyk consumed an astonishing 16,500 calories every day, which included 108 pieces of sushi and 2.5 kilograms of steak.
Nicknamed the ‘340lb beast’ and The Mutant, Yefimchyk stood 6 feet 1 inch tall, with a massive 61-inch chest and 25-inch biceps. His sudden death last week was confirmed on Wednesday by the Instagram account @whoisthebestbb. He reportedly suffered a massive heart attack at home on September 6, with his wife Anna performing chest compressions while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Unexpected Death
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Yefimchyk was airlifted to the hospital by helicopter. “I prayed all this time, hoping that Illia would recover,” Anna told Belarusian local media.
“I spent every day by his side, hoping, and his heart started beating again for two days, but the doctor gave me the terrible news that his brain had died.”
His wife said after his death: “I thank everyone for their condolences. It’s very heartwarming to realize that I am not left alone in this world, and so many people have offered me help and support.”
Also, Russian newspaper Kommersant confirmed Yefimchyk’s death “On September 6, the athlete suffered a heart attack and fell into a coma,” it reported.
His death was confirmed on September 11.
Yefimchyk had achieved remarkable lifts, including a 600-pound bench press, 700-pound deadlifts, and 700-pound squats. Though he didn’t compete professionally, he became a social media icon, amassing over 300,000 Instagram followers, with fans admiring him for pushing the limits of human strength and capability.
Star In His Own Right
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In school in Belarus, Yefimchyk reportedly weighed 70kg and couldn’t perform a single push-up. He attributed his transformation to years of dedicated training and discipline, combined with a deep understanding of exercise physiology and nutrition.
“My transformation is a result of years of hard training and discipline, paired with an understanding of exercise physiology and nutrition,” he had said.
“My mission is to instil a work ethic in people so they can overcome and surmount their fears while acting confidently towards the betterment of themselves and those around them.”
In a 2020 interview with Muscular Development, Yefimchyk shared that he began his bodybuilding journey as a teenager, inspired by the legends of the sport. “All I knew was that I wanted a chest and biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger,” he said.
Before his death, his goal was to reach 380lbs. He lived in Belarus, then moved to the Czech Republic, the US, and Dubai.
Yefimchyk is not the first bodybuilder to die young recently, and his death is likely to prompt discussions about the health risks associated with bodybuilding. Other recent cases include Brazil’s Antonion Souza, 26, and Britain’s Neil Currey, 34.
