You know how they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Well, it doesn’t, but that’s not always a knock. Sometimes it could actually be something really positive as with the case in the article today. Just a couple weeks ago we reported on Arnold’s son Joseph Baena competing in bodybuilding at the NPC Natural Colorado. He did very well at that competition and showcased the signature structure of his old man. Again, the genes are phenomenal and the work ethic is just as good. Because in natural bodybuilding there is no easy way out. This is not to suggest that enhanced bodybuilding is for everyone. I know plenty of competitors that take everything but the kitchen sink, but they are not on point with their diet and they are not on point with their training. If you’re not about the training and you’re not about the diet no supplement whether it be exogenous, synthetic hormones or food-based supplements are going to make it for you. You must put in the work. But having said that, I think that anybody can agree that the rocket juice, or the sauce, or whatever you want to call it can makes up for a lot of lost time. It can also dramatically increase muscle mass and also aid in recovery. Natural competitors, on the other hand, don’t have any of those shortcuts. And if you don’t like the fact I’m calling it a shortcut, then just deal with it because that’s exactly what it is. Natural competitors don’t get to dabble in any of those compounds. As a result, their work is far more difficult in my humble opinion. Joseph embarked on a journey that has seen him do very well at an NPC show and a week later win his pro card with the PNBA. He did it all on his own!
I also think that it’s important to give Joseph Kudos because he didn’t use a stage name. Many times, stage names are used by folks who are corporate professionals. A lot of times, not to be sexist, it happens to be women that frequently use stage names more than men. Perhaps they’re teachers, perhaps they’re Fortune 500 executives, or maybe they are involved in politics. For whatever reason, people use stage names to have some level of anonymity when they’re competing on stage. Whether that be because they don’t want an advantage or because they don’t want to have it associated with their day-to-day life. And in Joseph’s case I would imagine that the danger was that he would get preferential treatment because of who his dear old dad is. I mean what promoter wouldn’t want him at their contest? And what panel of judges would want to be known for judging the son of The Oak too harshly? At the end of the day, none of that matters because judging is not political, right? Yeah and I have a bridge to sell you in New Jersey. Nonetheless, Joseph went into the contest using his own name without making any attempt at hiding his identity and did exceptionally well!! As a result, he looked phenomenal and he won his first NPC contest and went pro shortly thereafter with the PNBA. And when it comes to natural, tested organizations, the PNBA doesn’t mess around.
This is a young man who is poised to embrace bodybuilding. I don’t think this is a one-off for him because not only did he compete successfully at his first ever contest, but shortly thereafter, just a week later in fact, he competed at the INBA and earned his PNBA pro card. Now this is natural bodybuilding – not the IFBB; however, they also have a natural Olympia which Joseph can now compete in provided he is qualified. I’m not going to pretend to know the rules of the PNBA but I will tell you that the optics of Arnold’s son competing at any type of Olympia is something that is going to become a social media blockbuster. And I have to credit the most popular youtuber, Nick’s Strength And Power for cluing me into this. I knew that he competed at the Natural Colorado because it was all over social media but I had no idea that he actually earned professional status in another federation. That goes to Nick Miller – all kudos to him and all credit to him for breaking this piece of news. I didn’t see this at RX initially, I didn’t see this with Ivan Bodybuilding, I didn’t see this anywhere except for the most popular YouTube channel for bodybuilding and fitness online. Nick also always thanked his sources because he’s not all-knowing. Miller relies greatly on his sources and that’s an important part of why he’s always one step ahead of everyone. I have to say though that to see Arnold’s son have the word Pro in front of his name is like a dream come true. Of all of Arnold’s children, he is the only one to my knowledge that has embraced the sport to the point of competing in it. One look at Joseph’s posing and his physique and you just know that he has been bitten by the bug.
Now the big question is, is he going to stay natural? Well, I think that there is a stark difference between bodybuilding in Arnold’s day and bodybuilding in Joseph’s day. Back in the 60’s and 70’s most of the guys only gear for the competitions. I just had the opportunity to see several off-season photos of Arnold where he looks more or less like a normal guy. He’s not on anything, but he still has the frame and he still has the muscle. Again, bodybuilding has become so saturated with drugs that most guys don’t come off at all. They don’t even take a few days or even a week off, let alone entire months. It’s like they’re constantly on huge cycles and as a result of that, they look the way that they do.
Back in the 1960s most of the guys were not taking anything. In fact, you look at The Blonde Bomber, Dave Draper, and he was natural for most of his career. I don’t even know if he ever took anything to compete. Then you go to the 1970s and you start seeing more guys using just to compete – but not year-round. Now, fast forward to 2026 and it’s a competition to figure out who’s not using anything. To be honest with you, I know that there are guys that can get the pro card naturally, but beyond that I don’t know what they can do in the IFBB. So while a lot of people are bummed out that Arnold’s son is not competing in the Pro League, what is there really for him there? There is the Ben Weider Classic, which is a phenomenal, tested pro show, but beyond that, tare there any other natural pro shows in the IFBB? Is the money there? Are there any good sponsorships for natties?
When it comes to Joseph all those answers are yes’s, but not because there is opportunity in natural bodybuilding, but rather because he is the son of the most popular bodybuilder in the world. And as is the case with many of these legacies, I suspect that Joseph does not want to live off his dad’s reputation. I feel that he has built a physique that is noteworthy and he is making his own way in the fitness industry. Now the question is, will he continue competing as a natural pro or will he take the dive or the jump or the plunge or however you want to call it and start taking synthetic, exogenous hormones? That only time can tell. But there are guys like Ronnie and Kai who started out naturally, competed naturally, and reached their natural potential as pros. Look at the Keone Pearson. He was even placing well in big shows, 100% natty!! But a point in time came when he realized that he wasn’t going to win those big shows unless he got on the sauce. Will Joseph? Is it that important to him? Who knows, but Joseph is now a professional bodybuilder in the classic physique division with a natural federation. And that right there is headline news!! It requires a follow-up to our article just two weeks ago.
Where do you think bodybuilding will take the son of The Oak? Do you think that he will eventually get on the sauce? Or do you think he will become the next Mike O’Hearn – the greatest natural bodybuilder of all time? Maybe with Joseph as a lifelong pro, Arnold will start offering natural bodybuilding as a category at his shows? Who knows?
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading my article, here, at IronMag. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments. Please be sure to copy and paste a link to this article on all your social media feeds. It’s bound to generate lively conversation.
Author Bio:
Christian I. Duque is the owner of StrengthAddicts.com, a physique and strength website founded in 2008. He has worked for a number of bodybuilding websites, including RX Muscle and Muscular Development. Christian has written nearly 1,000 published articles for IronMag Blog, as well as articles for StrengthAddicts, RX Muscle, and others. By day, he is also a licensed attorney practicing in the areas of family law, immigration, and criminal defense.
