“Was So Nervous to Injure Bro”: Arm Wrestling Beast Was Hesitant Going Up Against Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son at Arnold Classic UK

Arnold Schwarzenegger is back with the Arnold Classic UK. While Christopher Schwarzenegger accompanied his father in Ohio earlier this month, Arnie’s youngest has traveled to Birmingham, England. The 26-year-old bodybuilder felt right at home at the Arnold Expo and tried his strength at arm wrestling on the expo floor earlier.

Since this is the first time, Baena got the opportunity to experience bodybuilding like never before. One of the new experiences was trying out arm wrestling with experienced arm wrestler and IFBB Pro, James English. While Baena is excited to test his strength, the IFBB pro is slightly hesitant while showing the young actor how it’s done.

Joseph Baena gives it his all

While arm-wrestling looks simple enough, there is a lot of technique involved with the raw strength. Joseph Baena shared the clip that James English posted as his Instagram story. “Arm-wrestling Joe Baena. Crazy! Was an honor. (I) Was so nervous to injure bro,” James English wrote. Baena used all his strength to pin the IFBB pro at the Arnold Classic but failed.

James English barely broke a sweat as he instructed Baena what to do. In fact, he seemed more worried about Baena than himself. That’s because an enthusiastic beginner like Baena, who gives it his all, stands a chance of getting injured. Even with the presence of an instructor, there are chances of injury. A prime example would be a Larry Wheels clip.

Larry Wheels trained with countless experienced coaches and athletes during his arm-wrestling phase. However, one clip captured how things might go wrong when the technique isn’t perfect. Just like Joseph Baena at the Arnold Classic UK, Wheels’ opponent pushed harder and suffered a horrific fracture. 

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Since such injuries can have lifelong consequences, it’s no wonder James English was more worried about Joseph Baena’s safety. Thankfully, nothing went wrong, and Baena continued to enjoy the event he was so excited to attend.

Arnie’s son’s first Arnold Classic

Joseph Baena continued to carve his own path because he attended his first Arnold Classic, not because his father co-founded the event, but as a sponsored athlete. In late 2023, the actor bagged a sponsorship deal with Young LA, and they flew him out to Birmingham for the Arnold Sports Festival event. The bodybuilder announced the news on social media.

The 26-year-old excitedly announced he would be at the Arnold Classic UK’s Young LA booth. Baena’s excitement was palpable when he asked fans to come “say, hi.” The bodybuilder also announced his excitement to meet all the competitors and fellow bodybuilders.

It seems that Joseph Baena is certainly enjoying himself at Birmingham as he tries out other strength sports like arm wrestling.

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