Ever since his debut in March, Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Joseph Baena has been making waves in the bodybuilding world, but living up to his dad’s name is a challenge few can truly understand.

Joseph Baena managed to impress the world with his stunning back-to-back victories at his first two bodybuilding competitions. But there is another side to his debut, which is being the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger. In an interview with GQ magazine, Baena talks about the pressure of carrying forward the legacy of his great father.

"To actually step on stage, it's nerve-wracking. You're putting yourself on stage to get judged by not only the judges, but the crowd. Of course, with the family ties that play into the sport, there's a lot more room for judgment."

Among all his children, Schwarzenegger's youngest, Joe Baena, seems to have inherited his love for bodybuilding. And finally, this year, he made his debut as a natural bodybuilder at the NPC Natural Colorado Show, where he won multiple medals. He debuted in the Classic Physique division.

Two weeks later, he won his second competition, the INBA Iron Gladiator Show, and earned his pro card.

But despite the pressure, Baena considers Schwarzenegger as his biggest supporter, calling him the 'best training partner.' The 27-year-old credited his dad for his wins, revealing the legend had trained him and pumped him whenever he needed motivation.

“My dad gave me the bodybuilding encyclopedia. I was flipping through that, trying to learn how to grow the biceps, and I fell in love with weightlifting.”

The father and son duo were seen training together at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, where the Terminator was seen teaching bodybuilding poses to his son. The training paid off as Baena's physique became a model for natural physiques.

Joseph Baena’s Natural Physique Is a Hit on Stage

Arnie Jr. turned heads last month when he announced his bodybuilding debut, but what was more surprising was the path he chose. Being Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, everyone expected him to choose mainstream bodybuilding, but instead, he chose to debut as a natural bodybuilder.

His physique exposed many athletes, who claimed to be all-natural and promoted different ways to build a natural physique. Busting all these methods, Baena has a simple message for everyone wanting to become a natural bodybuilder.

"I just want to share, and I want people to have fun. That’s the main message that I want everyone to receive when it comes to health and fitness. There are ways of making it easy and fun, and it doesn’t have to be a grueling, miserable thing."

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil