Joseph Baena, son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, takes fifth at pro natural bodybuilding debut

A fifth-place finish in El Segundo

Joseph Baena, the 29-year-old son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, made his professional debut on Saturday, 7 November, at the INBA PNBA Pro/Am World Cup in El Segundo, California. He competed in the Classic Physique Open and finished fifth, the placing he had set as his goal before stepping on stage. The contest belongs to natural bodybuilding, a discipline that bans performance-enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids. In this category judges weigh harmonious body proportions alongside muscle size. The California show was his third competition overall, after an April event, and he began competing as a bodybuilder only in March of this year.

Preparation without a fixed coach

Baena said he trained without a permanent coach, although he received advice and guidance along the way. Compared with his April appearance, he said he arrived in much better physical shape this time. Before the event he had hoped for exactly a top-five result, and he said reaching it gave him reason to be proud. He also thanked his family, his girlfriend and the people who have followed his path. His earlier amateur debut at the NPC Natural state contest in Colorado ended in a victory, but the step up to professional competition came only this year.

Reaction on Instagram

On 8 November Baena posted a video of his posing routine on Instagram and said he was extremely proud of his placing. He described the day as an incredible experience and said he had clearly improved on his previous show. In the same post he repeated a line his father often uses, that nobody achieves everything alone, and said he knows exactly what he still has to improve. For Baena, the fifth place is a first milestone against more experienced competitors. He presented the result as proof that the hard work behind it had paid off.

A father's influence

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 79, won the Mr. Olympia title seven times and remains one of the best-known figures in bodybuilding history. Baena traces his interest in the sport to his father, who gave him a bodybuilding encyclopedia that he began leafing through to learn how the body responds to training. Baena told GQ in April that he regards his father as the best training partner he could have, and the two now train together. He has also spoken openly about a difficult physical start, recalling that as a child and teenager he struggled to keep pace with his classmates. His time at university changed that, as he discovered a passion for health, weightlifting and nutrition that transformed his physique over time.