Adam Rodriguez on How He Got in Shape for Magic Mike XXL: 5 Hour Workouts and a ''Strict Diet''—All the Details!

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Only eight more days until a whole lotta hotness hits theaters!
Ahead of the highly-anticipated release of Magic Mike XXL, star Adam Rodriguez is featured in the the July/August 2015 issue of BELLA New York. E! News has the exclusive first look at the interview, in which the 40-year-old opens up about the forthcoming film, sharing how he prepared for the role and what it was like to re-team with the cast, including Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello and Matt Bomer, three years after the original stripper flick.
"The two months leading up to the movie were intense; 3 hours of physical training, 2 hours of dance rehearsals a day and a strict diet," he reveals. "The first two weeks were really hard but then the stress goes away once you are in it and focused."
He adds, admitting, "Although we were all happy when it was done."

Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Warner Bros./AP Images

When it comes to the sexy moves in the film, Rodriguez admits it was like "no kind of dancing I had ever done before," and says the "biggest challenge is not just learning the steps but owning the dance steps, making them yours, putting a style, a funk, a flavor into that, so the people watching will feel something new."
In spite of the challenges, the CSI: Miami star is incredible close with the cast and is already hoping to make set another sequel wtih the Magic Mike gang.

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"It was a sad day when we wrapped the movie. I want to work with all of these people on every single thing that's how much of a good time we had," he shares, adding, "Hopefully if we can't figure out another movie to do together there is a Magic Mike XXX."

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Rodriguez, who welcomed his first child in 2014, also reveals how he came to meet Channing—and turns out, he has known the stud since the beginning of his career.
"I worked with Channing Tatum when he did a guest spot on CSI Miami, it was one of his first acting jobs. We clicked right away," he shares. "When he called me up 10 years later, he was putting together Magic Mike and we began recapping some of our conversation from that day we worked together. I was rooting for him the whole time as his career exploded."

Magic Mike aside, Rodriguez is also gearing up for his guest-starring role on Empire, and he couldn't contain his enthusiasm while chatting about the upcoming project.
"It's such a great show; I can't tell you how excited I am," he gushes. "I have a little bit of butterflies because I am anxious to jump into this world that they've created...here's so much going on with these characters and I love that with all the high drama they're dealing with; they're tackling some really important and relevant social issues."