Arnold Schwarzenegger may have starred in dozens of movies over the years with countless quotable lines, but a major part of his career comes from his body. The Austrian actor-turned-politician started lifting weights at the age of just 15, winning the title of Mr. Universe by 20, and going on to win the Mr. Olympia bodybuilding contest seven times.
Since then he's maintained a presence in bodybuilding, writing books and articles on the profession, and is considered to be one of the greatest entrants to the sport. His muscular physique has been kept up even to the age of 71, something that benefitted him greatly in the many Hollywood action films he starred in throughout the 80s and 90s. As it turns out, his sons are all for working out too.
Joseph Baena, Arnie's 21-year-old son, was born from an affair Schwarzenegger had with his former housekeeper. Alongside Arnold's eldest son with ex-wife Maria Shriver, Patrick Schwarzenegger, he's keen to hit the gym just like his dad. Joseph frequently shares workout photos and videos from his Instagram account, and recently recreated one of his father's most iconic bodybuilding photos.
You've probably seen the original photo, even if you didn't know exactly what it was from. Arnie won Mr. Olympia for the sixth time in a row in 1975 at the age of 28, where this photo was taken:
This shot from his bodybuilding days is iconic, especially on the professional sport's scene, and Joseph recreated it for his Instagram fans recently. "Just a lil thicc," he captioned his post, which went out to his 22,000 followers.
“I see a new terminator," one comment read. "Time to reboot the movie.”
Another follower was astounded by the similarities between Joseph and his father, writing: “Dude we are literally seeing a Mr. Olympia.”
Patrick Schwarzenegger is big on the gym too - and is looking to break out into the movies like his dad. Talking about his 25-year-old son, the Austrian actor said that he has to tread a fine line between bodybuilding and being too muscular to land certain roles he'd prefer:
"He works out every day, but he doesn’t want to get too big because of the acting, because he’s being sought after now for romantic roles, not action roles.
“But eventually, when he gets to be like 30, 35, he will go get bigger and then do more action movies. But I love seeing [my sons] work out and being into it. It’s a great feeling.”
Another of Schwarzenegger's kids has been in the news lately, after his daughter, Katherine, got engaged to actor Chris Pratt. The couple shared the news of the successful proposal earlier this month, receiving congratulations from fellow actors and fans from all over the world. Meanwhile, one insider revealed that Pratt had to approach Arnie for his blessing to go ahead with it.
