Joseph Baena, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, has opened up about the role his father has played in his rapid rise within the bodybuilding world.
The 28-year-old, who has recently begun making a name for himself on the competitive circuit, spoke about how the Terminator actor, 78, has encouraged and guided his training journey.
Baena, whose mother is Schwarzenegger’s former housekeeper Mildred Patricia Baena, recently secured the INBA Iron Gladiator Classic Physique title, adding to a string of wins just a week earlier in Colorado across multiple categories, including Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavy Weight Class and both Novice divisions.
Schwarzenegger himself is widely regarded as one of the sport’s all-time greats, having claimed seven Mr. Olympia titles before transitioning into Hollywood and later politics.
Baena has also been training alongside his father at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, where Schwarzenegger has been seen offering hands-on support during workouts.
In an interview with GQ published on Monday, Baena said his father sparked his interest in bodybuilding during college, recalling, ‘My dad gave me the bodybuilding encyclopedia.’
Joseph Baena , the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger , has opened up about the role his father has played in his rapid rise within the bodybuilding world
The 28-year-old, who has recently begun making a name for himself on the competitive circuit , spoke about how the Terminator actor, 78, has encouraged and guided his training journey
He added, ‘I was flipping through that, trying to learn how to grow the biceps, and I fell in love with weightlifting.’
Baena went on to say that his interest quickly developed into a deeper lifestyle commitment, explaining, ‘I fell in love with eating healthy. I fell in love with learning about the body and how it reacts to training, and I became very passionate about it.’
Reflecting on training with his father, he said, ‘He’s the best training partner. I don’t know what to say.’
He added that Schwarzenegger helps keep him disciplined in the gym.
‘He pushes me. He makes sure that I don’t slack off in the gym. When the carbs are low and the calories are low and I start getting tired, he pumps me up,’ he added.
Baena was only 13 in 2011 when Schwarzenegger publicly revealed that he was his son, born from a brief affair with his former housekeeper.
The revelation ended the actor’s 25-year marriage to journalist Maria Shriver, whose divorce from Schwarzenegger was finalized in 2021.
Schwarzenegger is father to four children with Shriver, 69 – daughters Katherine, 35, and Christina, 34, as well as sons Patrick, 36, and Christopher, 28.
In an interview with GQ published on Monday, Baena said his father sparked his interest in bodybuilding during college, recalling, ‘My dad gave me the bodybuilding encyclopedia’
The pair revealed their separation on May 10, 2011, releasing a joint statement that said, ‘This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us.’
They added, ‘After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together.’
The former couple noted that they had been living apart and navigating ‘the future of our relationship.’
Together, they said, ‘We are continuing to parent our four children together. They are the light and the center of both of our lives.’
Just a week later, Arnold Schwarzenegger publicly confirmed the affair to the Los Angeles Times.
He expressed regret for his actions, took full responsibility for the pain caused, and said he had apologized to Maria Shriver and their children.
Years later, the actor reflected on that turbulent chapter, admitting he often wished he could go back and undo his mistakes.
‘I can beat myself up as much as I want – it’s not gonna change the situation. So the key thing is, how do you move forward? How do you have a great relationship with your kids?’ he told Men’s Journal in 2017.
Baena was only 13 in 2011 when Arnold revealed he secretly fathered him with a housekeeper
He added, ‘You can’t go back – if I could, in reality, be Terminator, of course I would go back in time and would say, “Arnold … no.”‘
And he noted, ‘You know, it’s always easy to be smart in hindsight. That’s not the way it works.’
Despite the reconciliation efforts within the family, reports have indicated that Joseph remains somewhat estranged from his half-siblings.
The distance became apparent at the 2024 premiere of Schwarzenegger’s FUBAR season two, where the actor posed separately with Shriver’s four children and later with Joseph.
