Like Father, Like Son: Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Places Top Five at Pro Bodybuilding Debut

Joseph Baena bodybuilding debut top five, Digi Mart USA News (California): More than 60 years after Arnold Schwarzenegger first flexed on a bodybuilding stage, his youngest son is continuing the family’s tradition of muscle, placing in the top five during his professional debut over the weekend.

Joseph Baena competed in the classic physique category at the INBA PNBA Pro/AM World Cup in California on Saturday. The 29-year-old placed fifth and said in a video on Instagram that he was happy to have achieved his goal of cracking the top five.

“I’m extremely proud of myself,” said Baena, who only started competing this year. “It was an incredible experience for my first show as a pro.”

This was the third show of Baena’s career. He is the son of bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-politician Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena.

Under a video Baena shared on Instagram of his posing routine, several commenters noted, “Like father, like son.”

It is perhaps no surprise that the son of a man famous for his impressive physique is following in his footsteps. Schwarzenegger won the title of Mr.

Universe five times at professional bodybuilding competitions in the 1960s and 1970s, and he remains one of the most enduring names associated with the sport.

His 1977 docudrama, Pumping Iron, is credited with giving bodybuilding more exposure and helping it be treated more widely as a sport. High-profile roles for Schwarzenegger in Hollywood action films such as Conan the Barbarian (1982) and The Terminator franchise further pushed muscle into the mainstream.

In his video reflecting on the competition, Baena said bodybuilding is a solo sport where “it all comes down to your own discipline,” but noted that he had a lot of support from family and friends.

“My father always says there’s no such thing as a ‘self-made man.’ I have people in my corner,” he said.

In an interview with GQ earlier this year, Baena called Schwarzenegger “the best training partner,” saying his father makes sure he doesn’t “slack off in the gym.” He added that his father gave him “the bodybuilding encyclopedia” when he was in college, sparking his interest in the sport.