Few names carry more weight than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s in bodybuilding, particularly at Mr. Olympia. The pressure was immense on his look-alike son, Joseph Baena, during his debut competition. Instead, he drew inspiration from his father, shrugged it off, and claimed three gold medals at the NPC Natural Colorado State Championships in Denver last month. Now, he has repeated the feat in California.

The 28-year-old picked up a rather flashy medal when he walked away with the gold medal in the Classic Physique contest at the INBA Iron Gladiator competition. It marked his second consecutive win in as many competitions, with Baena quickly becoming a rising star on the circuit. He shared photos of himself on Instagram, onstage with a sword and helmet, after earning his pro card.

That’s because the win at the INBA Iron Gladiator puts Joseph Baena on the pathway to the Mr Olympia competition, as it’s part of the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness Professional League. Thus, winning the qualifying contest gives Baena entry into an arena where his father not just thrived but dominated during his time as a bodybuilder.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, for the unversed, is a seven-time Mr Olympia winner, having won it six consecutive times from 1970 to 1975 before he retired for the first time.

The former Governor of California then returned in 1980 to win the crown again, making it an incredible seven wins, which was a record for the most at the moment. That has since been eclipsed twice: first by Lee Haney, then by Ronnie Coleman, as both won eight titles during their careers. Not only that, but both Haney and Coleman did so by winning eight consecutive titles, outdoing Schwarzenegger’s six back-to-back ones to take that record from him as well.

Phil Heath matched Arnold’s epic streak with seven straight Mr. Olympia wins from 2011 to 2017. That knocked the Austrian legend down to fourth on the all-time list for consecutive titles. Talk about a power move!

Joseph Baena gets hands-on help from dad Arnold on his bodybuilding quest. The bodybuilding GOAT coaches him through workouts and nails those classic posing tricks for competition season. They hit the gym together, building that champion vibe. Back in July 2022, Joseph dropped a heartfelt birthday shoutout to Arnold.

He wrote, “Thank you for inspiring me and others around the world to be better every day.”

However, Baena has been treading his own path, turning actor first and then bodybuilder, although he has been a fitness model in the past.

Joseph Baena reflects on deciding to compete as a bodybuilder

The move to become a bodybuilder had slowly crept into his mind for years, from the moment Men’s Health featured him on its cover in 2022. That was partly thanks to his father, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the move soon became effortless with the Austrian in his camp.

As mentioned, Schwarzenegger has been a steady guiding force for Baena, sharing years of wisdom and insider training tips. Together, they even co-authored The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding, a cornerstone that helped shape Baena’s routines and mindset. He first joined Pepperdine College as a swimmer but discovered his true calling when he switched to bodybuilding in his junior year—and he’s powered forward ever since.

Back in high school, Baena described himself as “chubby” and recalled being cut from basketball and soccer because of his physique. His transformation took time, a journey that he openly acknowledged in his interview with Nora Veronica Reynoso

“I’m really excited to be a part of the INBA and to experience this wonderful program. My fitness journey, it’s been a long time,” Baena said. “Started swimming and lost a lot of the fat, and it wasn’t until my junior year of college, so about 10 years ago, that I, or eight years ago, that I started lifting weights, and fell in love with bodybuilding, seeing the improvement, the muscle gain, the strength gain.

“And, uh, I fell in love with the sport, even, even watching. But, uh, this year was the year that I said, ‘Enough being afraid.’”

Now, having won his second consecutive competition, Baena has firmly placed himself on a path that could eventually lead him to the Mr Olympia stage. If he continues this trajectory, the 28-year-old may soon step into the same spotlight his father once dominated, albeit on his own terms.