Exercise Guru to the Stars Looks to the Past for New Workout

When fitness expert Michael Carson first started out, he worked with the current celebrities of the day like Carmen Electra and Paula Abdul. Now he takes his exercise cue from the past. He has developed a workout routine that uses the survival mechanism of our long gone ancestors as its basis and says it will have us all Fit in Seconds.

In a recent one on one interview Michael explained the origins of the theory, "When you're hungry, you think of food… That is a survival mechanism that turns on in our body… When we're hungry, we are focused physically and mentally on food. In pre-Civilization that meant it was time to hunt or gather for food. We couldn't go to a supermarket. We couldn't have it brought to us. It wasn't something that was fun. It was about survival…"

He continues, "When your body was in hunger state and you would mobilize during your hunger state… That window is our survival window. And if you hunt and gather while you're in a survival state and immediately ingest the food within 15 minutes of doing that mobilization, your body does not store the calories because it only uses it for building energy and lean muscle mass to survive."

The workout is quite simple. Once you sign up for the plan, you receive one 90-second video routine each week. You do this 90-second routine for 15 minutes before every meal or snack. He states that if you do the movements three times a day for 30 days, you'll lose on average 1-3 ounces of fat at every meal. You get a new routine very week, so when you get used to the movement pattern of the first workout, you switch it up so the body maximizes the effect of the routine.

Michael developed the series while working with his current business clientele who do a lot of travel for work and found they didn't have time for exercise. He wanted to give them consistent energy in the form of a quick workout. This 90-second routine moves every muscle group, enhances circulation, strengthen bones and increases blood flow to every part of the body.

After over 20 years in the fitness business Michael has seen the industry change drastically. In the early days he created some of the best selling and most iconic pop culture workouts around including the Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease DVD series, the Paula Abdul Cardio Cheer workout and the Envy series (Arms of Envy, Legs of… and Buns of…). The latter starred the Women of the Year from Playboy, FHM and Maxim. In addition he has trained celebrities like Cindy Crawford, Brooke Shields and Constance Marie.

But Michael has noticed a big shift lately that he finds disturbing. He points out, "The biggest trend is that intensity is key for people… but they're not really getting fit."

He is bothered by the push for everyone to train like ultra endurance athletes. He notices, "It's become more extreme… They're doing activities that are great if you're 20 and you're preparing your body for something that you need to be completely super hero strength for. But it's breaking people's bodies down more… People are really doing major damage to their spines and their knees and their backs because they're lifting enormous amounts of weights."

According to Michael rather than beating up your body and spending hours in a gym every day, you can burn calories much more efficiently if you exercise for a much shorter time period during the survival window. He states, "The 90-seconds simulates the instinctual hunt that is hard wired into our body for survival… With my movements and with this small burst of activity I am able to take off seven pounds on average, every 30 days, in four minutes a day."

Now, he's not saying all the other exercise has to go by the way side. If you are already in an exercise routine, this regime will enhance it, not replace it. He explains, "This maximizes your meal's absorption of the nutrients which will help build your body better and recuperate from the other exercises that you do. And it burns additional fat so you don't have to work quiet as hard on the other days that you work out. It's like an exercise supplement that maximizes your caloric absorption and your body's ability to minimize the fat that goes onto it."

Michael also says that with the Fit in Seconds workout people have lost great deals of weight without changing their diet. He adds, "You also ingest less food naturally, because you're body has an additional response, wanting to keep it safe and be able to flea from predators, if need be, at any moment. So you won't eat as much when you have that mobilization before a meal."

And unlike many other exercise programs, Fit in Seconds does not require any special equipment or a particular environment. Michael says, "You need gravity and you need enough space to spin your arms around like you're Wonder Woman… you use your own body weight… anywhere you're at, this works."

And with the holidays coming up, Fit in Seconds can come in really handy as you have less time for workouts. "With this workout, you're one meal away from always burning fat. If you have five meals a day, you can do five 90-second routines before each one and you will not gain weight from anyone of those meals."

Interested in hearing more? You can find details at the FitInSeconds.com website.

Bryan De Flores Travels an Unexpected Path to Becoming an Artist

Photo courtesy of Bryan De Flores

Bryan De Flores was admittedly not an artistic kid. Although his mother was an artist and he and his siblings were known to scribble and doodle, like any average kids, De Flores did not have his sites set on becoming a painter.

In fact, when he grew up the arts were far from part of his day-to-day existence. As he explained in a recent one-on-one interview, he had “a pretty normal life. I lived in Southern California around the Ventura-Santa Barbara area. I was born on the beach. I surfed most of my teen years and had various jobs. I worked at places like Honey Baked Ham, McDonald’s, those types of things, and some retail sales. And then I was a truck driver for quite some time after that until I was about 35.”

But on December 4, 1996, the truck driver’s life took an unexpected turn. On that day, Flores recounts, “I actually changed a bit. It was kind of a miraculous lightning bolt transformation. And I was actually driving the truck and just had a lot of things happen that day that spurred me on to shift my vocation and the next day I was actually drawing.”

Ukrainian Filmmaker Yuri Shapochka on His New Film Clubhouse

Photo courtesy of Yuri Shapochka

Ukrainian native Yuri Shapochka has traveled a long way, literally and figuratively, to arrive at his current career as a filmmaker. From his beginnings in the USSR, where he worked as a journalist, to the U.S. where he has honed his skills behind the camera, Yuri has combined all his passions to become and award-winning filmmaker. His new feature, Clubhouse, is making the festival circuit beginning with the Orlando Film Festival in Orlando, Florida, on October 17 and 20. But in a recent interview he told us, "I hope our film will have a chance to be seen by the worldwide audience."

Yuri explained his background, "I was born in the country that doesn't exist anymore: the USSR. The Empire of Evil for some and the greatest place on Earth for others. I had a happy childhood and wouldn't trade that experience for anything else. Even now, I stay in touch with the most of my childhood friends. As kids we weren't too obsessed with material things, we had other interests: books, music, movies."

His love of movies ultimately led him to the U.S. He joked, "I was going to Birmingham, England but ended up in Birmingham, Alabama."

He described his journey, "Back in the Ukraine I was involved in the TV world. I participated in a television program that provided a critical look on Ukrainian political life. I worked with Vladimir Kornilov, a journalist and writer, who is now the number one political expert in the Ukraine. Recently, he published his sensational book about Donetsk Republic, a self-declared republic that was founded in 1918 and sought an independence from Ukraine. In our TV programs we talked about many hot issues including corruption and radical nationalism. That experience helped me to set my standards and start writing scripts, and later to make films."

After arriving in the States he worked for a production studio in Alabama, learning the ins and outs of the technical side. He also studied screenwriting, directing and producing and even took a course in acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute to learn what it was like on the other side of the camera.

This all culminated in an award-winning career as a filmmaker. Yuri described the premise of his latest work, Clubhouse. "Robert, a disabled Iraq War veteran, restores his family’s magnificent old Southern home and uses it for the greater good of the community, but discovers some wicked plots made against his life and property. Clubhouse is a revenge play and morality tale. It features my favorite genre: black comedy."

He was inspired to write the script by some real life people and events taking place in the South, where the filmmaker resided. The Birmingham News wrote regarding his film: “This is a story that had to be set in Birmingham. All that avarice and artifice. That crooked mayor and the conniving lawyers. The injudicious judges, the plots and the slots and way, way too much murder.”

Yuri told us, "I wanted to explore the theme of various temptations that we experience every day. Also, the themes of love and aggression, friendship and betrayal, peace and violence."

Yuri worked on the film with Cinematographer David Brower. He said of his collaborator, "David Brower is a living legend in the South East film world. It’s an honor and great privilege for me to work with him. David has the calm mindset of a Zen guru and the eye of a painter. His vision is unique; he works with lighting like a poet. Normally, the labor on the set is very tough physically, but with David it doesn’t feel difficult. David told me once: 'What’s the point of working so hard if we don’t enjoy it?' When not shooting, we meet regularly and discuss new ideas and concepts. David is a huge source of inspiration."

The film stars Tim Abell (an ex-Army Ranger and veteran TV and film actor) and Leslie Easterbrook (Police Academy). Yuri explained, "I met Tim Abell a few years ago on a movie set in Los Angeles. Later, when I was casting Clubhouse, I clearly understood that he would be a perfect choice for the main role. A former US Army Ranger, Tim Abell brought the character of Robert McKenzie, a disabled veteran, to life. Tim introduced me to Leslie Easterbrook and when she read the script, she kindly agreed to step onboard. Her presence on the set made all of us happy. I had amazing experience to work with true professionals who are so dedicated to their craft."

These pros helped Yuri tell his metaphorical tale. He stated, "I wanted to show immorality through the unusual actions of usual people. I told a story open to diverse interpretations. But the bottom line: How likely is it for the World to improve by way of violence?"

For more information on the film visit the Clubhouse website.

For related stories check out:
Robin Mountjoy Set to Release Debut Feature Film
Filmmaker Carl Colby on The Man Nobody Knew

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Jennifer Delilah's Art and Her Connection to JFK

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Delilah

Growing up in a Dallas, Texas, suburb, Jennifer Delilah always surrounded by art. From quilting and sewing with her family to painting with her grandmother, it seemed creativity was in her blood. But there was something else that happened in Dallas that would in some sense influence every piece of art Jennifer ever created — JFK's assassination.

Before she was even born, her dad experienced the tragic event from a peculiar and unthinkable point of view. He was one of two pathology residents working at the Parkland Hospital the day the President was shot and brought in to the emergency room. That event resonated with her family for many years, "There was always this uncomfortable silence around us."

She said her father rarely spoke of what transpired in the hospital other than to say, "It was really scary and everybody in the ER and the pathology department at Parkland Hospital was scared out of their wits. And that's all you need to know."

But she would overhear conversations and realize she wasn't getting the full story. Her imagination kicked in to fill in the gaps. She stated, "I developed this habit of not necessarily taking everything at face value. Not necessarily believing everything I was told… I am in the habit of questioning what people told me, trying to get to the bottom of it. I would try to worm stories out of people and if they didn't provide me with a story I would make something up."

Jawz Shares His Unique Rock ‘n’ Roll/Rap Style on New Album

When talking to Dennis Pitts, aka Jawz, one thing becomes immediately evident. He is passionate about his music. But he’s not a typical artist. A biracial performer, who grew up on the north side of Chicago, Jawz has spent the last few years honing a unique blend of rock ‘n’ roll and hip hop that elevates both genres to a whole new level.

In a recent exclusive interview Jawz admitted that his all-time favorite band — Megadeath, heavily influenced him. Of his hard rock roots he remarked, “I know every note, every lyric, everything about that band… I admire their patriotism more than anything. Megadeath, Metallica and Slayer are among my top three favorite bands.”

But he had diverse musical taste from an early age, as he explained, “I was also interested in hip hop. I grew up on hip hop. My older sister, she listened to a lot of Grand Master Flash, Melly Mel… some of the earliest rappers. My generation of rappers were more like Snoop Doggy Dogg’s generation, the tail end of NWA. Big L would be my favorite.”

Still, when it came time to make music of his own, Jawz gravitated toward his rock roots. He started as a guitarist and a lead vocalist of his own metal band, MOM (aka Menace Over Mankind) in the ‘90s. Yet he also gravitated toward hip hop and between 1999 and 2001 performed under the name Rawdad.

The Most Dramatic Bachelorette Ever

Photo by Francisco Roman/ABC

The phrased gets tossed around a lot in the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise, but ask anyone who watched this season and they will tell you it truly was the most dramatic ever. Desiree Hartsock fell immediately in love with Brooks Forester from their very first date picnicking at the Hollywood sign.

But hints were being dropped along the way that he was not falling quite so hard. In the two-part season finale her heart was crushed when Brooks told her that he could not reciprocate her feelings and would not be getting down on one knee and giving her an expensive four-carat Neil Lane diamond ring.

In a recent conference call interview Brooks said, "Desiree deserves to be in love with someone that is equally in love with her… I know I made the right decision and that was about being honest with Desiree and with myself. And that conversation and the breakup, as difficult as it was and as bad as it hurt, I just don’t know how I can live without being honest."

Fans mourned with Des as she lamented the loss of her true love. But what would happen next? Would Brooks have a change of heart and come running back? Would Des go home empty handed and broken hearted? Of course, there was the chance she could pick one of the remaining two bachelors — Chris Siegfried or Drew Kenney — but how, fans asked, could she accept a proposal from someone else just days after losing the man of her dreams?

And then we all watched as she did just that. Des took what was behind door #2 and Chris proposed. The happy couple is now living together in Seattle and Brooks is a distant memory.

There are mixed reactions to the ending. Many feel Des picked Chris as a consolation prize, because she just wants to be loved. Others think she was in love with Chris the whole time, but was blinded by Brooks' flowing locks and crooked smile.

Des insists that latter is true stating, "I can’t make someone love me and so I wasn’t going to dwell on that but really take time to see the other relationships that I formed. I was actually able to really just look beyond Brooks leaving and to see the good that was going to come from it."

But viewers can't help but wonder, if Chris watched the episode and saw how completely devastated Des was by Brooks' departure, how could he possibly feel confident in her love for him? And there's the rub. He hasn't seen it.

He said, "Des and I decided early on that it was just best for her and I, for me to watch the parts that we shared together in all the episodes… There’s no real reason to bring up old feelings like that."

She added, "We weren’t going to let what had happened in the past really define what our future is going to be."

Fans couldn't help but wonder how easy this would be, though, if all those things that happened in the past were just three days before you got engaged? And many hoped until the last moment that Brooks would return on a white horse to be Des' knight in shining armor after realizing he'd made a huge mistake.

No such luck. He confirmed, "That was never an option and never my feelings after making that decision. I felt like I make the right decision going into that. I didn’t have a moment where I felt I should go back and rehash things out with Desiree."

And Chris insists that Des' feelings for Brooks don't come in to play. "I was confident the entire time in the relationship that Des and I were building… and I just knew that going forward each and every day seeing Des was something that I could see in my future forever. When Brooks ultimately decided to leave, while that did play a little bit of a factor it didn’t really didn’t affect my decision making process. I still knew that at the end of the day I wanted to be with Des and that’s what I was focused on."

And so another happy couple walks off into the partly cloudy sunset of the Pacific Northwest to plan a wedding, as the TV world holds its collective breath to see if it is true love. The most dramatic season ever.