Spin Life

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Personal trainer Shawn L. Jenkins dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star, so following graduation from Mumford High School in Detroit, he moved to Los Angeles and was able to appear in several films and TV shows. But reality never quite matched his aspirations.

Instead, he developed what he says was the next best thing: the Hollywood Extreme Workout program. The exercise regime, available at several Life Time Fitness locations across metro Detroit, offers an array of training techniques complemented by nutritional and lifestyle changes that are geared to adults and children.

“I pivoted from trying to be an A-list actor and learned everything I could about exercise, nutrition, and personal motivation,” says Jenkins, who has worked with cast members from The Ellen Show, X-Men, and Six Feet Under, as well as boxer James “Lights Out” Toney. “I created my workout regime and named it after Hollywood, and now Hollywood is coming to me.”

The certified spin instructor, who splits his time between Detroit and Los Angeles, received an offer from VJM Productions (Sony) to create a 10-episode cable show that is set to start filming shortly. He is also working to raise money for a variety of charities by setting the world record for the largest single spinning class — look for the event next summer in the Campus Martius area in downtown Detroit.

“The producers wanted to film the show in greater Los Angeles, but I convinced them that Detroit would be a better place because the city is going through a renaissance and it plays better thematically with the turnaround nature of the show,” Jenkins says. “We’ve been scouting locations and developing the overall storyline. I never dreamed this would ever happen.”