Although he followed in his father's footsteps into the world of acting, Joseph Baena is increasingly gaining attention in bodybuilding, the sport through which Arnold Schwarzenegger achieved worldwide fame.
Indeed, Baena triumphed at the INBA Iron Gladiator competition in California. This success comes just seven days after he won multiple awards at the NPC Natural Colorado State competition.
On his Instagram profile, he shared photos from the stage, posing with a sword and shield after earning his professional card.
Ahead of this achievement, Baena revealed in an interview posted on Instagram that Iron Gladiator was only his second career appearance.
"I'm so excited to be a part of INBA and to experience this wonderful program," he shared.
Speaking about his athletic development, he noted that he swam competitively in his youth before starting weight training during his third year of college.
"I started lifting weights and fell in love with bodybuilding, seeing the progress, muscle growth, strength gains, and I fell in love with the sport, even watching sports. This year I said, 'Enough fear. Enough thinking. It's time for commitment,'" he added.
A week earlier, Baena achieved a notable result at the NPC Natural Colorado State competition, where he took first place in multiple categories, including Men's Open Body Heavy Weight, Men's Classic Physique True Novice, and Men's Classic Physique Novice.
In preparation for his first competition season, Baena trained with the help of his father, one of the most famous bodybuilders of all time, at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California.
Photos of their joint training sessions show Schwarzenegger advising his son, particularly in the posing segment of competitions.
"I got cut from the basketball and football teams because I couldn't keep up with the other kids. Swimming didn't have tryouts, thankfully, and it completely changed my life forever. That was my introduction to fitness and training," he admitted.
He also spoke to People magazine in 2022 about the challenges he faced due to excess weight.
"My closest friends were the ones who bullied and teased me the most about being overweight and all that stuff. So, that was a really big struggle for me in finding myself and understanding and then creating that ambition to change my weight and physique," he recounted in 2022.
When it comes to acting, he has landed roles in the films: "Chariot," "Called to Duty," "Bully High," "Dog Patrol," and "Gunner."