As the highly anticipated return of the Ms. Olympia approaches, fans are excited to see Helle Trevino take the stage. Leading up to the event, she broke down how her training is going, as well as what she expects from the big things happening in the sport.
The general consensus, heading into this massive return of the Ms. Olympia, is that Trevino will be the favorite to win. She is the 2019 Rising Phoenix World Champion, which is the best of the best, outside of the Olympia. Therefore there is a ton of hype about her arrival on the biggest stage in female bodybuilding. Speaking exclusively with FitnessVolt, she explained that she was excited for this contest, and that she knew from the moment it was revealed that the Olympia would return, that she would compete.
“I was sitting right there in the front row at the Olympia when it was announced. It was absolutely amazing. I had the Wings of Strength crew sitting around me. Alina Popa was sitting next to me screaming with her hands over her head, I heard Lenda Murray yelling, and Jake Wood was on my right side being ecstatic. It was a great moment that I’ll never forget. Bob Ciccerello, who was the MC, announced me to the public and had me stand up for a round of applause as the current World Champion. I was just filled with joy and gratitude.
I have this feeling now of ‘things are finally right.’ It wasn’t fair to take the division out of a big show like the Olympia. Women’s bodybuilding isn’t the NFL but we definitely have our fans and we’re popular within the fitness industry. We do have a justified place in any bodybuilding show.”
How Trevino’s Training Is Going
Obviously, with such a big opportunity ahead of her, Helle Trevino is hard at work to prepare. For this contest, she has enlisted the help of Luca Pennazzato, who has been working with her to improve her physique. Not only that, but she says that she spent the off-season doing training, so you can expect a bigger, more jacked physique, come December.
“(My training is) going really well. I teamed up with IFBB PRO Luca Pennazzato in January. We became training partners and we’re killing each other 6 days a week in the gym. He’s pushing me on the weights and I’ve made substantial improvements to my physique this year. I’ve had a really productive off-season. I expect to step on stage 6 pounds heavier than last year.”
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The Ms. Olympia Was Removed Because Of Trends
It was clear that the announcement of the Ms. Olympia returning left a renewed excitement in the sport. That being said, it made one wonder why the event was taken away in the first place. When asked her thoughts on the matter, Trevino was fairly straightforward, saying that the preferences in female bodybuilding were changing, and rather than change with it, the Ms. Olympia just disappeared.
“Trend (took away the Ms. Olympia). I think the owners wanted to go more mainstream with the sport. It was around the time when bikini, women’s physique, and men’s physique were introduced. I think they wanted the category to be more feminine. Instead of changing the judging criteria they just took women’s bodybuilding out, and thereby made women’s physique the new, smaller version of women’s bodybuilding.”
Of course, there will always be criticisms of female bodybuilder’s femininity. Haters will make remarks about how masculine it is for a woman to bulk up. However, Helle Trevino is not deterred by these comments, explaining that women come in all shapes and sizes and that this does not determine how ladylike they are.
“My definition of femininity is not based on size. I think that’s a wrong definition. Some girls are genetically small and some are genetically big. I was a big girl all my life. Before bodybuilding, I had the typical soccer or track look. Solid bone structure. I couldn’t even fit in a physique competition if I wanted to. I was 160lbs even at my first show.
Femininity comes from inside. How you carry yourself; walk, talk and how you take care of yourself: hair, nails, make up. I think I’m a good example of that women can be muscular but still be feminine and sexy. I don’t have any desire to be a man. I LOVE being a woman, I just love muscle! And I dont think any gender should have the sole ownership to the rights to build muscle. I’m gonna get as big as I feel fits my frame and looks good on me.”
Helle Trevino Thinks Jake Wood Is Good For The Sport
Recently it was announced that Jake Wood would be purchasing the Mr. Olympia brand. Wood grew to prominence in the bodybuilding community for his work on the female side of the sport, which means Helle Trevino is quite familiar with him. Therefore she thinks that his leadership will allow the sport, and the Olympia brand, to reach new heights moving forward.
“If you want to sell a product you HAVE to believe in it yourself, and you gotta have love for it. Jake Wood believes in women’s bodybuilding and he loves the sport. He also has the means to invest in it. He’s a business man. He knows how to grow it. Just look at how he grew the sport within just 5 years, and made the Rising Phoenix World Championship a big and respectable title. Women’s bodybuilding has a bright future (with him), and this is just the beginning.”
Trevino goes on to explain that this change will make a big difference, for more than just female bodybuilding. She says that the previous owners of the Olympia did not do a good job promoting the event. However, she thinks that Jake Wood has the means and desire to change that.
“(The Olympia) has a whole different promotional vehicle now. The division will actually get promoted. Again, if you want to sell a product, you need to promote it. The previous owners failed to do this. I know (the new owners) have a lot of surprises cooking!
One of the things I can reveal is their new online talk show: Femme Flex Friday which will be airing soon!!”
The Return Of Iris Kyle, And The Other Rivals For The Ms. Olympia Title
Another big surprise that was revealed, was that Iris Kyle would be making a return, alongside Ms. Olympia. She is the ten-time winner of the event, and the last person to earn the title. For Helle Trevino, this does not add any pressure, but she is excited to compete against this bodybuilding legend.
“I think it’s awesome that she’s returning to the stage. Sometimes it’s not just about the title, but about who you beat. Iris is not only a great athlete, which I have a lot of respect for, she’s a legend. She’s won 10 Olympia titles. That speaks for itself. It’s gonna be an honor and a privilege to be on stage with her. She will be motivating me this entire prep to be my best. She makes me work harder every day. I’m thankful she’s back. This is great for the sport. We need some suspense. A competition is only as exciting as it’s participants, SO LETS MAKE THIS A GREAT SHOW!”
On the other hand, Iris Kyle is not the only person Trevino has her eyes on. While she is widely considered the favorite to win, she is taking her competition seriously. She actually has a few people in mind, that she expects to give her a tough challenge on stage.
“Iris is always a contender. She’s coming out of retirement and has something to prove as in ‘hey I’m not done yet. I may have been retired but make no mistake I’m Iris Kyle!’
I’ve been going head to head with Margie Martin several times. She’s won 2 RP’s and I’ve won 2. She’s got a beautiful physique. She can do damage any day.
I think the newbie to women’s bodybuilding, Jill Blondin will come armed and ready. She was 6th in her first RP in 2018. She took 2019 off to build more size. She’s already looking phenomenal here, at 18 weeks out so let’s see.
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Yaxeni Oriquen is other veteran who will be returning. She’s won the Ms. Olympia once and holds 5 Ms. International (Arnold Classic) titles. She always places in the top.
I was impressed with 2020 Omaha Pro winner Andrea Shaw, she can mix in with the top.
There’s some names for you to keep an eye on. But there’s always athletes who pop out and surprise. That’s the exciting thing about sports! Personally I just focus on my own game. I don’t look at what anyone else does, or eats, or trains. I have my own methods and I keep the focus on myself. Whoever wins that day is the one who did their homework the best. That’s how I see it.”
Helle Trevino Ms. Olympia Diet and Training Split
Speaking of her methods, Helle Trevino has been hard at work in the gym. She says that she usually trains six days a week. This is how she splits her training:
- Monday: Chest and Abs
- Tuesday: Quads
- Wednesday: Shoulders and Abs
- Thursday: Back and Calves
- Friday: Arms and Abs
- Saturday: Hamstrings and Glutes
- Sunday: Rest
Leading up to this event, she has amped up her cardio training. Not only that, but she has training heavier, putting on more muscle mass.
“I was swimming for morning cardio last year, but now that the pools are closed (due to COVID-19) I’m jogging for cardio. Not really pleased with that, but I have to do with what I have to do, like everyone else. I’m just blessed that I have a gym to train at, and that I’ve been able to train throughout the COVID-19 quarantine.
Weight training wise, I’m training a lot heavier than last year, which helped me build more muscle.”
As for her diet, naturally Helle Trevino eats several meals during the day. She detailed what her diet looks like right now. However she explained that her carb intake will drop as the competition draws closer.
Meal 1:
- 2 cups egg whites
- 1 cup oats (dry measure)
- 1/2 cup blueberries or strawberries (frozen are fine)
- 1 Bagel
Meal 2:
- 45g whey protein isolate (must be an isolate – zero fat and zero carbs)
- 1 cup oats (dry measure)
Meal 3:
- 6oz chicken or turkey breast (cooked)
- 1.25 cup white rice (cooked)
- 1 cup kale or spinach or green beans or broccoli or asparagus
Meal 4:
- 1.5 cups egg whites (38g protein)
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- 2 cups kale or spinach or green beans or broccoli or asparagus or cucumber
Meal 5:
- 6oz chicken or turkey breast (cooked)
- 5oz sweet potato OR red skin potato (cooked)
- 1 cup kale or spinach or green beans or broccoli or asparagus
Meal 6:
- 6oz chicken or turkey breast (cooked)
- 5oz sweet potato OR red skin potato (cooked)
- 1 cup kale or spinach or green beans or broccoli or asparagus
Helle Trevino Is Excited To Give The Fans A Show
The return of the Ms. Olympia is exciting for everyone. Yet there is no denying how big the stakes are, for Trevino. This is why she urged her fans to be excited, as she is too, despite how difficult things are in the world right now. Moreover she would love to meet as many people as can buy tickets to the show.
“Be excited! My physique will be at my all time best this year. I’m super excited. This is a next level physique and I believe it will be the winning physique.
If you have the opportunity, buy a ticket to this year’s Olympia. It’s going to be an epic show in all categories. We have Iris Kyle coming back. We have Flex Lewis coming back, not in 212 but in Men’s Open! And who knows, maybe Phil Heath?
Every one of those athletes on that stage overcame great diversity. It hasn’t been easy this year. For all of us. COVID-19 has impacted us all. Financially, mentally and physically. Gyms are still closed here in Los Angeles, as I write this. Earlier this year we had a food shortage. Chicken and egg whites were a commodity and rationed. During the quarantine I trained at 5 different places undercover. I was basically a criminal for going to the gym. Sometimes they shut down. Some days I couldn’t train. I constantly had to adapt and find new solutions. It’s been like this for everybody.
Give yourself a break and come support us athletes for the Olympia weekend. Let’s try and have a ‘normal’ fun fitness and bodybuilding weekend. I think you need it. I think I need it. Tickets are available on: www.mrolympia.com
See you in December!”
It was a pleasure to hear from Helle Trevino as she prepares for the 2020 Ms. Olympia. It will be exciting to see how she looks when she steps on stage, because she is seemingly ultra hyped about the contest.
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