Although Joseph Baena, the youngest son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, does not use his father’s last name, according to bodybuilding veteran Victor Martinez, it is not possible for the young bodybuilder to live in the shadow of the 7-time Mr. Olympia.

On May 21, the Generation Iron Instagram account shared a short clip of Dominican Dominator attending a press conference, where he answered the question, “Is Competing in Natural Bodybuilding Enough for Joe Baena to Escape Dad Arnold’s Shadow?”

In response, Martinez said, “He's doing a lot, you know, but to say, and I said this before when we commented on him to not live in his father's shadow, it's next to impossible. You know, it's just always going to be a shadow, big shadow I mean, his shadow is as big as a skyscraper.

You know, it's just you cannot avoid it. That's it. He's your dad, your father's son, your bodybuilding, just like your dad. It's going to get to a point that he's going to build so much muscle naturally that they're still going to say he's not natural, whatever, but no matter what.”

The whole context goes back to Baena's 2022 interview for Men’s Health cover. Where Baena admitted that, “if I use my dad's contacts or ask him for favors, I wonder what honor is that gonna bring me?”

Since then, he has been working hard on his physique and has remained committed to staying totally natural. During his journey, he achieved his first milestone on March 28, when he won his first professional bodybuilding competition at the NPC Natural Colorado State Championships in divisions such as:

• The Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavyweight Class
• Men’s Classic Physique Novice
• Men’s Classic Physique True Novice

Within a week, he again became a Pro by winning the INBA Iron Gladiator Classic Physique.

Although Baena admitted to proceeding without his father's influence, there are many times when the young bodybuilder has been seen receiving suggestions or training from his father.

For instance, when asked what it was like to train alongside his famous father, Baena admitted, “He’s the best training partner. I don’t know what to say.

He pushes me. He makes sure that I don’t slack off in the gym. When the carbs are low, and the calories are low, and I start getting tired, he pumps me up.”

Whether Baena wants to stay in his father's shadow or not, what Martinez meant was that, as the son of such a renowned father, it is not easy to ignore the spotlight.

Now, when it comes to natural bodybuilding, Baena himself revealed the secret behind his shredded physique.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s son Joe Baena talked about natural bodybuilding

After winning his first professional bodybuilding title, Baena revealed his decision to stay natural during an interview with GQ.

He said, “I’ve always said if your goal is not to become Mr. Olympia, I personally don’t see the point of taking s*******.”

He admitted that he follows a holistic lifestyle and always chooses natural alternatives.

Baena said, “When it comes to s******* or performance enhancements, to me, I think there’s a lot more steps that you can take before that’s necessary.”

According to him, eating healthy, getting proper sleep, getting enough exercise, and resting matter a lot.

However, if he prepares for the Arnold Classic or Mr. Olympia, then walking on those paths will be necessary.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil