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Arnold Schwarzenegger his son Christopher Schwarzenegger and Heather Milligan at Hotel Stanglwirt on January 19, 2024 in Going near Kitzbuehel, Austria© Getty Images

Arnold Schwarzenegger praises son Christopher's weight loss — and how he helped

The Fubar star's son with Maria Shriver has lost over 30 pounds

Beatriz Colon
Beatriz Colon - New York
New York WriterNew York
June 16, 2025
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Arnold Schwarzenegger is happy that his son Christopher is prioritizing his health.

This year, the Terminator star's youngest son with Maria Shriver revealed that he had lost over 30 pounds, after realizing how limiting his weight had become.

In addition to the 27-year-old, the former California governor and his ex-wife, to whom he was married from 1986 to 2011, are also parents to Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, and Patrick, 31, plus he shares son Joseph Baena, also 27, with the family's former nanny Mildred Baena.

Christopher wearing suit looking larger than today© Getty
Christopher is Maria and Arnold's youngest kid

Recently asked by The Times whether it was "difficult" being a parent to someone struggling with their weight, Arnold shared: "You're telling me," and noted: "I could never go and say to him, you're overweight. We just kept introducing healthy foods."

"We introduced him always to the gym and all of that kind of stuff," he added, and further shared: "And then, out of nowhere, he decided that he wanted to be lean. And now he is. So that is of course fantastic, the self-discipline and the self-motivation. I always felt one day it will have to come from him — and it did."

Per the Special Olympics website, which was founded by Christopher's grandmother, Maria's mom and John F. Kennedy's sister Eunice Kennedy Shriver, he is not only Vice Chair of the organization but also the Director of Development at Indus Valley Media, a Los Angeles-based production company servicing the global film and television marketplace.

christopher schwarzenegger© GC Images
He took up classes in boxing, weightlifting and cycling

Though he is the more private of his siblings, last month, during the Inaugural Beacher Vitality Happy & Healthy Summit in Los Angeles, he opened up about his weight loss, describing it as a "big process."

"I started in 2019 when I was living in Australia. I was on this big trip. I made it a big [deal] like, 'Oh, I'm going to go out and do all this stuff, be in Australia,' and I just saw how much my weight was prohibiting me from doing the everyday activities," he first shared.

Christopher Schwarzenegger, Christina Schwarzenegger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Katherine Schwarzenegger © FilmMagic
With his family at the Fubar season two premiere

He then recalled: "I was like, 'I want to go skydiving.' And my friends were like, 'Yeah, no shot.' I was like, 'Yeah, I can't skydive.'"

"It's not an overnight thing, but it took a lot of trial and error," he added, and emphasized: "And even still to this day ... when you're saying, oh, before and after photos ... I don't feel like I'm [at] an after yet. I don't feel like I'm at the point."

Katherine Schwarzenegger shares picture of siblings Christopher (L), Christina (2R) and Patrick (R)© Katherine Schwarzenegger
With his three siblings

Christopher also shared one of the key ways he lost 30 pounds in just two months: giving up bread. "Weirdly enough, I gave up bread for Lent," he said of the 40-day period observed before Easter. "I don't know if anyone's Catholic in here, but I gave up bread for Lent."

"I was like, 'Well, if I'm giving up bread, I might as well just take the opportunity and I'm a good Catholic boy, so I'm not going to break it,'" he went on. "And that was my one rule. I was like, 'I'm not going to break Lent.' And so I lost 30 pounds just through that."

Recommended videoYou may also likeWATCH: Meet Arnold Schwarzenegger's family

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