Joseph Baena, the youngest son of Hollywood actor and bodybuilding legend , has taken another step towards building his own identity in the sport. The 29-year-old recently made his professional natural bodybuilding debut at the INBA PNBA Pro/Am World Cup in El Segundo, California, on 7 November.
Competing in the Classic Physique Open category, Baena finished fifth against a field of other competitors. The event marked his first appearance in the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association (PNBA), and only his third bodybuilding competition overall.
Baena shared the result with his followers on Instagram, posting a video of his posing routine from the competition. In another video shared on 8 November, he spoke about his experience and how far he had come since entering competitive bodybuilding earlier this year.
“This was my pro debut in the INBA/PNBA, well, my PNBA debut, and it was for Classic Physique Open, and I placed in the top 5, so I’m extremely proud of myself,” he said.
He also thanked his supporters and gave a special mention to his father, who has been part of his fitness journey.
Joseph Baena is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mildred Baena. While his father is known around the world for his bodybuilding career, films and political career as the former governor of California, Joseph has been working towards establishing himself in , fitness, and business.
He began taking bodybuilding seriously several years ago. In an earlier interview, Baena spoke about struggling with his weight when he was younger. He eventually started swimming, which helped him lose weight and become more interested in .
His interest in lifting weights grew during his junior year of college, around eight years ago. He gradually became more serious about but only decided to enter competitions in 2026.
Baena’s first competitive appearance came at the NPC Natural Colorado State Championships on 28 March. He made an impressive start, winning first place in three categories: Men’s Open Bodybuilding Heavyweight, Men’s Classic Physique True Novice and Men’s Classic Physique Novice. He also finished second in the Men’s Classic Physique Open Class C category.
He followed that performance with another victory at the INBA Iron Gladiator competition in in April. He won the Classic Physique division and earned his professional card, allowing him to compete at the professional level.
His fifth-place finish at the 7 November event is therefore his first result as a professional competitor.
Bodybuilding is not the only area where Baena has tried to build a career. He appeared on the 31st season of Dancing With the Stars in 2022, where he partnered with professional dancer Daniella Karagach.
The pair made it to the fifth week of the competition before being eliminated. Baena also attracted attention for his strength during performances, including routines that involved lifting his dance partner.
Apart from entertainment and fitness, he works as a luxury agent in California. He has also shared cooking videos and fitness-related content on social media, often showing his approach to preparing meals during bodybuilding training.
His professional debut also brings renewed attention to his connection with his father. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most successful bodybuilders in history, having won the Mr Olympia title seven times between 1970 and 1980. He also won five titles.
Joseph has previously spoken about training with his father at in Venice Beach, California. Their shared interest in bodybuilding has given them another way to connect.
However, there is an important difference between their competitive paths. Joseph competes in natural bodybuilding, while his father competed during an era when he has openly discussed using performance-enhancing substances.
For now, Baena’s fifth-place finish marks another milestone in a competitive career that began only in March. With two victories and a professional debut already behind him, he will be looking to build on his early results.
