Muscle Magazine Mom

Erica Rose struts her stiletto savvy in new bikini workout video: Who needsclothes to pump iron?

Erica Rose and Cari Shoemate get into the Rose-dreamed-up "Stiletto BikiniBlast" workout.
Erica Rose in "Stiletto Bikini Blast"
Exercise BFFs: Erica Rose and Cari Shoemate
Photo by Todd Parker

Finals are over, and this summer, Erica Rose is taking a study break from University of Houston Law Center to produce a workout DVD alongside local trainer Cari Shoemate. The pitch?

She'll be doing the routine clad in a bikini and stilettos.

Rose's signature routine came into being last summer during the filming of VH1's You're Cut Off!

"We didn't have a lot of workout equipment at the house, so I invented the Stiletto Bikini Blast," she says. "All you need is a bikini and stilettos — workout equipment is optional."

Shoemate capitalized on Rose's idea, rounding out the workout with choice moves to tighten all the right areas. "We're making it pretty serious," Rose says of the 30-minute video (with a bonus 10-minute ab spectacular). "It can be funny, but it's legitimate too. I feel really tired after I do it."

Adding a decent dose of legitimacy is a cameo by Mrs. Cindi Rose, Erica's proud mother.

"She always likes to remind me that she was the first woman ever on the cover of Muscle Magazine," Erica says, "and she's showing that the Stiletto Bikini Blast works for women of all ages."

The 28-year-old Erica knows that the footage won't just be enjoyed by gal pals. "Probably guys will want to buy it just to watch us," she admits.

The filming will go down waterside at Château Rose. "We're shooting at my parents' pool because it's the perfect pool," Erica tells CultureMap. "It will be about four hours of shooting, and of course we're doing hair and makeup."

In a shrewd business maneuver, the DVD will hit shelves as bikini season reaches its height — just consider the time saved without having to change clothes between swimming, tanning, exercising and going out.

"It's coming at a perfect time," Erica says.

Beyond her stiletto sequence, Erica says her secret to staying fit is through managing liquids. "I drink eight glasses of water a day, and I don't drink a lot of alcohol," she says. "I suggest really avoiding alcohol, because that's how you gain weight. I don't need to drink because I naturally have fun on my own, and I enjoy myself more when I'm working out."

Other health advice? "You should just eat during mealtimes, whatever you want and satisfy your cravings so you don't go out of control later with thoughtless snacking."

Erica anticipates a national June delivery date for Stiletto Bikini Blast — but don't expect an immediate release party in Houston. T-Erica will be in the Hollywood hills, filming a season of Bachelor Pad.

"I'm doing it to win," she says with the determination of a third year law student. "I think I have a really good chance because I'm friends with a lot of the other people in the house. I don't have any drama going into it, especially because I haven't dated any of the other people."

When asked whether she'll be tempted by her eye-candy cast members, she replies, "Of course there are going to be hot guys there. But I'm not trying to fall in love — I'm trying to win."

Bachelor Pad audiences can forget the entitled brat archetype of Erica that was painted during her original appearances in Bachelor and You're Cut Off.

"Hopefully when people watch it, they won't see the same old spoiled character," she says. "I can't control editing, but I hope I don't come off that way because it's not the way I am."

For Erica, Bachelor Pad is more than another notch on the reality TV totem. The gig is accompanied with a sense of closure: "It's part of moving on with my life. I'll be ready to close that chapter, since I started on Bachelor."

What's in store for the Erica of the future? "I already have goals set, like to get on Dancing With the Stars. It's not that crazy of an idea since that's also on ABC."

Come December, Erica will graduate from law school. Not surprisingly, she aims to hone her legal cred behind the camera.

"My ultimate goal would be to have a show about me starting a law firm," she says. "It would probably take place in Houston because I have the most connections here and I want my family to be in the show because they're really funny.

"My parents love the idea and they're on board for sure."

Check out a preview of the Stiletto Bikini Blast :

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Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

movies film

Muscle Magazine Mom

Erica Rose struts her stiletto savvy in new bikini workout video: Who needsclothes to pump iron?

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