Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son is following in his jacked footsteps.
Joseph Baena, 25, took on bodybuilding like his father and has now officially earned professional status in just his second show ever, he revealed in an interview posted on Instagram.
“I’m really excited to be a part of the INBA and to experience this wonderful program,” Baena said. “My fitness journey, it’s been a long time.”
Baena won the INBA Iron Gladiator Classic Physique title, celebrating the win on his Instagram story.
“Thank you all for the sweet messages. Time to do it again on Saturday,” the story’s text read.
He also posted a photo from the event on his account, in which he is seen on stage raising a sword to the sky.
Besides this weekend’s win, Baena triumphed at the NPC Natural Colorado State competition, winning first in the Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavy Weight Class, Men’s Classic Physique True Novice, and Men’s Classic Physique Novice.
As one might expect, Schwarzenegger, who also dabbled in politics and acting during his career, inspired him to start bodybuilding.
The two met when Baena — the child of an affair between Schwarzenegger and housekeeper Mildred “Patty” Baena — was 13 years old in 2011. He grew up with his mother in Bakersfield, Calif.
Eventually, Schwarzenegger gave Baena a copy of a book he co-authored — “The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” — piquing his interest in joining the sport.
Baena participated in swimming at Pepperdine College initially but took up bodybuilding as a junior and hasn’t looked back since. He also revealed that he was “chubby” in high school and was cut from his basketball and soccer teams due to his physique.
However, this year has been his breakout in bodybuilding, aided by workouts with his father.
“I started lifting weights and fell in love with bodybuilding, seeing the improvement, the muscle gain, the strength gain, and I fell in love with the sport, even watching,” he said. “This year was the year that I said, ‘Enough being afraid. Enough overthinking. It’s time to commit.’”
Still, Baena knows the journey to the top won’t be handed to him because of his father’s name.
“My dad is old-school; he doesn’t believe in handouts,” Baena said. “He believes hard work pays off, and so do I.
“I love the word honor, and I’m very prideful in the sense that if I use my dad’s contacts or ask him for favors, I wonder what honor is that gonna bring me?”
