Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s son Joseph Baena emerged victorious in several categories for his bodybuilding debut.
Although Joseph primarily grew up with his housekeeper mother, Mildred Baena, he’s the only child who has mostly taken after his famous father, who also won several bodybuilding competitions back in the day.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has also returned to the gym, as reports suggest he’ll be appearing on the third installment of “Conan the Barbarian.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Follows In His Footsteps With Major Win
Schwarzenegger’s love child, Baena, followed in his father’s footsteps as he made his competitive bodybuilding debut at the NPC Natural Colorado State competition and won in several categories.
The event, which was held on Saturday at Pinnacle Performing Arts Center in Denver, Colorado, saw Joseph emerge victorious in the Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavy Weight Class, Men’s Classic Physique True Novice, and Men’s Classic Physique Novice. He cemented his dominant display by clinching the silver medal in the Men’s Classic Physique Open Class C.
Joseph’s success comes just days after he and his father were seen in the gym perfecting one of the “Commando” star’s signature moves.
In photos obtained by the news outlet, a shirtless Joseph can be seen flexing his muscles as Schwarzenegger attempted to help him perfect his posture.
Joseph Baena Talked About How Supportive Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Been
Earlier this month, Joseph revealed that he packed on 18lbs of muscle in just eight weeks.
According to reports, athletes who enroll for the competition not only undergo drug tests, but also take a 30-minute polygraph to ensure they haven’t taken any performance enhancers.
In his heydays, his father, Schwarzenegger, was much the same, winning seven Mr. Olympia titles before transforming into one of Hollywood’s top action stars, and eventually politics.
Joseph previously spoke about how the former California governor has been supportive of his career and what it means to him.
“He’s an amazing father. He’s a great person to look up to, and he’s the smartest man I know,” the half-Guatemalan athlete told ET in 2023. “It’s been a great journey, and he’s always been so supportive of whatever I do. So, I’m just really grateful to have a dad like him.”
Back in 2011, Schwarzenegger confessed that he secretly fathered Joseph after a “one-night stand” with his former housekeeper, Mildred Baena.
The revelation brought about the end of his 25-year marriage to Maria Shriver, and their divorce was finalized in 2021.
The former couple shares four children: Katherine, Christina, Patrick, and Christopher.
Joseph Baena Doesn’t Ask His Famous Dad For ‘Favours’
Joseph seems bent on making his father proud, but doing it in his own way, as he doesn’t want handouts.
He and the veteran actor first bonded over their love for fitness, and the action star gifted him a copy of “The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,” which he co-authored in 1985.
“My dad is old-school; he doesn’t believe in handouts. He believes hard work pays off, and so do I,” he told Men’s Health in 2022.
Joseph continued, “I love the word honour, and I’m very prideful in the sense that if I use my dad’s contacts or ask him for favours, I wonder what honour is that gonna bring me?”
Arnold Schwarzenegger To Reprise Role In Third Installment Of ‘Conan The Barbarian’
Meanwhile, Schwarzenegger would be reprising his decade-long role as Conan in a third installment of “Conan the Barbarian.”
The 78-year-old actor has reportedly returned to the gym in order to prepare for the role, many years after he did justice to the first part.
He announced earlier this month at the Arnold sports festival in Columbus, Ohio, that director Christopher McQuarrie, best known for his work on the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, would be in charge of bringing Conan to life.
“It’s a great story,” he said, explaining that after sitting on the throne for 40 years, “Conan gets complacent, and now he gets forced out of the kingdom, slowly. Then there’s conflict, of course, and then he somehow comes back, and then there’s all kinds of madness and violence and magic and creatures.”
“Now, of course, you have all the special effects, and the studio system has plenty of money to make those movies really big,” he added, per The Guardian.
Arnold Schwarzenegger Has Been ‘Pushing Himself To The Limits’ For His Upcoming Role
A source told the National Enquirer that Schwarzenegger has been “pushing himself to the limits” to be ready for the role, as it depends on him “really looking like a legendary barbarian-slash-king.”
“Gold’s Gym just sold almost all of their L.A. locations, but they held the original gym in Venice, where Arnold still works out to this day,” the source said.
They added, “That’s where he’s going to forge the body to take on this role again, come hell or high water! Failure is not an option.”
Schwarzenegger made one of such returns to acting in 2019 for “Terminator: Dark Fate,” although it didn’t perform well. He has other works in the pipeline like “Kung Fury 2,” alongside Michael Fassbender, and “The Man With the Bag.”
