When it comes to appreciating sweat equity, there are early adopters—and then there’s Karina Elle. “I remember in sixth grade using exercise to fix my mood when I was sad or mad or whatever,” recalls the budding fitness icon, 27, whose 1.4 million Instagram followers check in daily for workout tips, healthy recipes, humor, motivation, and more. “So from a young age I’ve had a grasp on how to transfer my emotions into energy.”
Growing up in Lake Mary, FL, Elle had plenty of opportunities to do just that, excelling in everything from cross-country and track to cheerleading. Then a 10-inch growth spurt at 16 changed the game. Recruited as a model, the now statuesque French-Vietnamese beauty experienced that life in Miami, New York, and Singapore but quickly bristled at its unhealthy standards.
After studying communications at the University of Florida and doing some soul-searching, she found her true calling. “I wanted to represent the hybrid girl, because I feel like girls were scared to be into modeling and fitness—and that’s achievable and universal for all women,” she points out. “Every girl can move and make muscles.”
It didn’t hurt that she got into the Insta-game early, with posts dating back to 2011. Still, Elle came into her own as a role model only in the past couple of years, as she began to embrace and evangelize the mood-boosting and life-changing benefits of fitness from the inside out.
“I made up this word, endorphingasm, the high after a workout,” she explains. “There’s a certain confidence, an energy you carry around when you train that you can’t get from material things. And it trickles down to every part of your life—your relationships, your job, how you feel about yourself—everything is a by-product.”
She’s not kidding about endorphingasm—five of Instagram’s nine “top posts” with that hashtag are hers. And from her base in Marina del Rey, CA, she now sculpts, shreds, stretches (the cornerstones of her six-week IdealFit program), and nurtures an ever-growing face-to-face and virtual community of fitness sponsors, gurus, and devotees. Which tends to happen when you’re a true believer.
“If life is a rainbow, and you’re trying to get to the pot of gold (of joy) every day,” Elle concludes, “then exercise is the star power that propels you there.”
Nuff said.
Karina’s Keys
1. Train Those Taste Buds
“Whatever you eat, your body will adapt to and crave. So enjoy the pleasure in learning how to make delicious foods with a healthy twist and knowing exactly what’s in them.”
2. Psyche Yourself Up
“Get some good music and a cute out t and a state of mind where you’re gonna kick ass. Tell yourself you’re an Olympian, find that badass persona, and channel that inner warrior to attack your workout.”
3. Consistency and Intensity Rule
“Halfway is better than no way. Even if you don’t go to the gym for an hour, if you go every day and do 15 minutes intensely, there’s gonna be a payoff.”
4. Team Up
“Cultivate camaraderie in your community. Having that accountability and training with a friend or partner is fun. We’re such an interdependent species, and we need each other so much.”
Karina’s Fast Faves
Time of day to work out?
“Morning. I get it done right when I wake up, then I feel good for the rest of the day. You have to fill your own cup before you can pour it out to others, you know?”
Workout spot?
“Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach. It’s hard to work out there because it’s so busy, but there’s a lot of love, a lot of good energy.”
Workout music?
“Anything you can ride a unicorn to—happy-go-lucky, inspiring, uplifting. At the moment, it’s Avicii.”
Guilty-pleasure food?
“Thin, golden, super-crunchy french fries with ketchup.”
Meal to cook?
“It changes, but right now I’m into this black bean spaghetti that tastes like real pasta.”
Way to relax?
“I love stretching, coloring, painting, gardening, cooking, and reading. Anything that makes me be present in the moment and forget about my phone.”
Karina’s Plyometric Shred Routine
How it works:
“I’m sharing my plyometric shred routine, which is my favorite type of quickie workout because you get the biggest bang for your buck,” Elle explains. “It works your whole body, burns fat, and, most important, you get that ‘endorphingasm’ and feel good the rest of the day.” How do you do it? Pick four or more of the following exercises and turn them into a circuit. Do each move for one minute, repeating the circuit three to five times. “Take 12 to 20 minutes and just go through it really fast and see how sweaty you get,” Elle adds. “This is, I like to say, hit it and quit it.”
1 of 6
Per Bernal
Lateral Jump-Over
Stand next to a box with your left (inner) foot on top of the box. Push off your right (outer) foot to hop to the other side, landing with your right foot on the box. Reverse the motion.
2 of 6
Per Bernal
Box Jump Squat
Start on a box. Hop off the box and land softly in a squat position with one foot on each side of the box. Take a second, then explode up to jump back onto the box with both feet.
3 of 6
Per Bernal
Football Shuffle
Stand on tiptoes with feet wider than shoulder-width apart. With feet rising no more than an inch off the floor, run in place as rapidly as you can.
4 of 6
Per Bernal
Lunge + Single-Leg Knee-Up
Step back with your right foot into a reverse lunge, then step back to the start. Push off your right foot, flexing your left knee and driving it as high as possible, momentarily leaving the floor. Switch legs after 30 seconds.
5 of 6
Per Bernal
Power Roundhouse Kick
Start in boxing stance. Pivot on right foot, driving left hip forward. Extend left (kicking) leg forward with a pointed toe, then continue rotating to the right and place left foot back on floor. Switch legs after 30 seconds.
6 of 6
Per Bernal
Ski Jump
Squat slightly, bending knees and lowering butt. Push off your right (outside) foot to jump to the left, landing on your left foot with your right foot behind it. Push off your left foot to jump back to the right, landing on right foot. Swing arms as you jump.
