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All in the family: Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Joseph Baena wins first bodybuilding competition
Joseph Baena, 28, trained under his dad at the famed Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California
- PUBLISHED: Mon 30 Mar 2026, 1:52 PM
Say hello to the new Arnie!
Joseph Baena, 28, the son of Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Patricia Baena, has won his first bodybuilding competition, he said in a post on Instagram.
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Baena won the first place in multiple categories at the NPC Natural Colorado State competition, including the Men’s Open Body Heavy Weight Class, Men’s Classic Physique True Novice and Men’s Class Physique Novice.
"Mission Accomplished! 🥇," he captioned the post.
The implication of the post wasn't lost on anyone, more so for fans of Schwarzenegger, an actor who made his way to Hollywood on the back of his achievements in the world of bodybuilding. For the record, the former governor of California won his first Mr. Universe bodybuilding championship at 20, in addition to winning the Mr. Olympia title a record seven times.
There are many parallels between father and son.
Baena spent time training and receiving tips from his dad—widely considered one of the world's greatest bodybuilders of all time—at the Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California. Fox News Digital reported that dad paid every attention to Baena's training, including his positioning, ensuring "each muscle hit just right".
Incidentally, this was the gym where Schwarzenegger started training at the same gym after moving to the United States in the 1960s. It was during this stint that Arnie swept most titles in bodybuilding, before he stopped competing in 1980 and conquered Hollywood.
For Arnie Junior, however, it was not a bed of roses. In an Instagram post in July, the Gunner and Dancing With the Stars alum said he wasn't always blessed with an athletic fit and had to cultivate it.
"People sometimes forget that I used to be chubby in high school. I got cut from my basketball and soccer team because I couldn’t keep up with the other kids," he said. "Swim didn’t have tryouts thankfully and completely changed my life forever. That was my introduction to fitness and training. Everyone starts somewhere but starting is the most important."
Baena's mother, Mildred Patricia Baena, was a former domestic employee of the Terminator and Commando star and his ex-wife, the writer Maria Shriver. Schwarzenegger and Shriver share four children, and Baena was born when Arnold was married to her.
Opening up on his personal life
Schwarzenegger opened up about his personal scandals in the Netflix show Arnold.
"I think that I have caused enough pain for my family because of my (mistake)," he said. "Everyone had to suffer. Maria had to suffer. The kids had to suffer. Joseph. His mother. Everyone."
“I’m going to have to live with it the rest of my life. People will remember my successes and they will also remember my failures. This is a major failure,” he was quoted as saying by Entertainment Weekly.