The IFBB pro competitors are preparing for the greatest battle of the year. The time for the annual Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas in September is getting closer. This year is extra special since it’s the 50th anniversary of Joe Weider’s great show.
It is also time to welcome the next athlete t
o Rx Girl. She has a total of seven IFBB pro wins to her credit. Furthermore, she wrote history in May of this year by winning a total of three IFBB figure pro shows with the latest win at the 2014 California State Open Pro Figure! She is now eight weeks away from Las Vegas and has the Ms. Figure Olympia title in sight.
She will also exclusively start with a video log for her fans to follow her preparations on the Rx Muscle Forums. The forum members will be able to ask her questions as well – so be sure to stay tuned!
Rx Muscle proudly presents one of the absolute best IFBB Figure Pro competitors in the world, Camala Rodriguez McClure!
Country: United States
City/state: Morrison, CO
Division: IFBB Figure Pro
Height: 5’5”
Occupation: Personal Trainer/Nutritionist/Student
RX: Hi, Camala, would you like to tell us about what your training schedule looks like each week?
CRM: Well, I don’t want to give away all my secrets, but I will say that right now I’m targeting some areas that I felt I could improve on after the three wins I had back in May. I really believe that the physique I brought to the New York Pro was my best figure physique yet, but there were still some areas I can perfect for the big stage at the Olympia.
Every three weeks, I change up my splits to keep things interesting and to incorporate a greater focus on my improvement areas. Then on days I’m not targeting a specific muscle group, I incorporate cross-training and endurance intervals so that I can shock my body through any plateaus.
RX: What are the most important things to know before you decide to compete in a division like women’s figure?
CRM: First and foremost, DON'T FORGET TO EAT! Many of my new clients come to me afraid to eat. If you want to gain muscle you need a good balance of macronutrients, including fats and complex carbohydrates, not just lots of protein. Supplements are important, and I use a variety of good products from PureLine Nutrition, but they are only supplements. They are not meant to replace healthy, clean eating. After that, it comes down to embracing your new lifestyle. Competing is a full-time commitment and I’ve found that I have to stick to the schedule that works for me if I want to get anything done. Many days I do my cardio at 4 a.m. so it’s over and done with. Set goals, create a schedule, stick to it and have fun being the best you can be!
RX: What is the best and worst thing ab
out competing?
CRM: Hmm… I guess the worst thing I experience with competing is the last four weeks before a show, I start having difficulty trusting that my body will change enough to be show-ready without overshooting the mark. In pro figure, it’s important to have symmetry, definition and the perfect balance from top to bottom, and when you’re at the top a simple thing like holding too much water or drying out too much can mean you lose the show. It’s not like bodybuilding or physique where you’re really able to come in super dry and ripped. You have to make sure you come in at the perfect balance right on time. The head trips around that are torture sometimes… my poor husband.
RX: A fictional scenario, you recently received one million dollars to use in a project. The money can be used outside the fitness industry as well, of course. Where would you put those dollars to work?
CRM: Interesting question. So I spent a few summers in Ibiza, a beautiful island in Spain. I’d take that money and start a wellness retreat and recovery center in Ibiza. I’d tell you more, but I don’t want anyone to steal my idea. HA! I’d also use some of the money to invest in throwing my own IFBB show and work on projects that would continue to support the NPC/IFBB.
I went there and ended up meeting some amazing people, danced at the best club in the world and made a long-lasting friendship with my best friend Zeus from Brazil. Her name is short for Zizelia. Zeus actually went to US for the first time to attend my wedding! The tattoo on my neck says soul sisters and she has one on her clavicle, pretty amazing friendship.
Well, I had a dream of dancing in the clubs, so when I had one year sober and had been working as coordinator for the Miami ultra music festival dancers, I said now is better than ever! I truly love HOUSE, and electronic music is my happy place! Combined with the sea and sobriety, nothing beats that! ;)
RX: What are your favorite things to do outside of training?
CRM: I’m in school now, working toward an athletic training degree with a long-term goal of becoming a physical therapist. I really enjoy learning; maybe because I wish I’d have taken it more seriously instead of partying so much as a teenager. At the risk of sounding more like a geek than I already have, I enjoy being in a classroom interacting with other students and absorbing new information. It really fires me up! I’m also a dancer, I love yoga and meditation, I love listening to good music, but most of all I love climbing mountains with my husband or just spending time at the park with our dog.
RX: Camala, do you have any funny stories that occurred in the gym during the years that you would like to share with us?
CRM:To tell you the truth, I don't really pay attention to other people when I’m at the gym much. I just put on my headphones, shut out the world and get down to business. Unless I’m doing cardio with a friend and we are talking. Generally though, I’m at the gym with a purpose and most people respect my space. My favorite funny moments are when people are really jamming out, throwing their arms a
round and dancing on the cardio equipment. I’ll be honest, when I’m tired on the stepmill I will totally start jamming up the stairs like the Dirty Dancing scene, whipping my hair around. Girls, you know what scene I’m talking about!
RX: For this upcoming Figure Olympia, have you been focusing on anything special when it comes to improving your physique?
CRM: To continue into improvements, I will stay full with more width to my back, detail near upper thoracic/rhomboids, bring up front delt and details hammy glute tie-in. (My personal goals)
RX: What is the key to happiness in life according to Camala?
CRM: The key for me to find happiness in life is to know, deep down in the core of myself, that alone with God I am enough. I find peace in the belief that I am loved unconditionally by God. My goal is to learn to love myself in the way I believe God loves me. Still working on that “unconditional” part cause I can be hard on myself sometimes for sure, but I do believe in progress not perfection in that regard.
It’s time for the round up; if you have anything that you might like to add or someone you want to thank, please feel free to do so.
I would like to thank my husband Andrew, my better half. Thank you to Dylan Armbrust and everyone at my home gym Armbrust Pro Gym! Thank you, Colorado NPC and IFBB athletes, we have such an amazing little family! Thanks Nikki, Matt and the crew at CPG. Always a thanks to Mr. Jim Manion, J.M. Manion and FMG. Joe Weider, Robin Chang and American Media Inc. and Mr. Jim Lorimer.
I’m especially grateful for my sponsors: PureLine Nutrition, P28 Foods, Quest Nutrition, The Protein Cookie Company, FitFoods4U, Indo Industries, Jan Tana, Zolarium, GloExtensionsDenver and Tony’s Meat Market.
Thank you to my family and friends that continue to support me on this amazing journey! Thanks also to Trish, Branch and Faith. I’ve enjoyed spending time with you guys recently and, Trish, I’m excited for our new fitness camps powered by Better Bodies (coming soon!!!).
And, of course, thank you Rx Muscle and especially Dave Palumbo for continuing to support all the athletes and our amazing sport! EIGHT WEEKS, BABY!!! SEE YOU IN VEGAS!!!
Thank you, Camala! The RX Muscle crew and I wish you all the best in your career. Additionally, we are really looking forward to watching your video logs and following your journey as the days are counting down to the great Ms. Figure Olympia competition!
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