When scheduling our trip to NYC, the thought of no Veggie Grills did cross our minds… I know, we’re pretty addicted… and proud of it!  Luckily, we had no shortage of other healthy restaurant options to choose from in Manhattan.  One of our favorite discoveries is a little spot appropriately called Chop’t.  It specializes in… you guessed it… chopped salads!

At Chop’t, you’re able to choose your greens, toppings and dressing… perfect, right?!  Bring on the avocado!  :)

Here’s a salad Karena and I created at Chop’t; it’s turned out to be a new favorite salad combo for us.  The carrot-ginger root dressing really makes this a great summertime salad.  Karena and I have also been experimenting a little with creating our own chopped spinach & arugula salad with homemade carrot-ginger dressing.  You can imagine that this can be difficult when traveling.  I doubt that room service was very happy about it… but that’s another story.

You may want to be your own judge on how much of any of the following ingredients you want to add to your chopped salad.  You may want more or less edamame, or substitute the tofu for chicken breast or tempeh, etc.

Ingredients:

Optional (it’s lunch time, so go for it!): a side of whole wheat pita bread or lavash

Dressing ingredients:

Directions for Salad Mix:

Chop 1/2 cup of arugula and 1/2 cup of spinach, then place chopped greens in large mixing bowl.

Take 1/4 apple and another 1/2 cup of arugula and 1/2 cup of spinach; chop together; add to salad bowl.

Dice 1/2 avocado into small cubes; add to mixing bowl.

Diced baked or firm tofu into small cubes; add to salad mix.

Add 1/4 cup edamame beans to mixing bowl.

Directions for Carrot-Ginger Dressing (You’ll need a food processor or blender):

Peel and coarsely chop carrot; place carrot pieces in processor.

Peel and coarsely chop shallot; add to processor.

Peel and coarsely chop ginger; add to processor.

Occasionally stop blending, scrape down the sides of processor and restart blender.

After contents look finely mixed together, add white miso, vinegar and sesame oil, and blend.

With the food processor running, add 1/4 cup of grapeseed oil and 2 tablespoons of water to the processor and blend until the dressing is well blended.  The dressing should have a thick consistency.

Pour desired amount of dressing into the salad bowl and toss.  If you want, sprinkle a little salt and pepper to taste… aaannnddd violà!  Try it out this weekend!  Bon appétit!

Ps. You can follow Chop’t on Twitter @chopt, and us @ToneItUp :)  Stay tuned for more, when we’re in Toronto!

We LOVE avocados. They’re so good for you and super tasty. Try this cool, summer veggie soup for a totally different take on how to eat them.  It’s a delicious and refreshing way to beat the heat while you eat!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 stalk of celery
2 green peppers, diced
1 cucumber
4 large, ripe avocados, mashed
7 oz. apple juice
Juice from one lemon
A pinch of sea salt    Black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper… or more if you like it hot!
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbs. walnuts, finely chopped

Place all ingredients except for the cilantro and walnuts into a blender or food processor and mix until smooth (a pouring consistency). If the mixture is still to thick after it is completely blended add a little water.  Pour mixture into a large bowl, cover and place in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge and ladle into smaller serving bowls. sprinkle with walnuts and cilantro.

Tips:

The gazpacho will remain at the right temperature while you eat it if you chill the serving bowls as well.

You eat this recipe with a spoon… but since you make it with a blender, you might as well do a shake dance!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ Tone It Up

We LOVE food Friday!  Cool, Simple Avocado Gazpacho

The arms can be a difficult area to tone up, so we’ve created a circuit of 5 moves to target each muscle in your arms and burn off the bulge.  Try each of these moves for 3 sets, 12 t0 15 repetitions in each set, and soon you can say ‘goodbye’ to those tharms!

If you like this arm circuit, you should also try this thigh workout:

We apologize ahead of time for any of the inappropriateness of this video at 6:20. Besides that, it’s a vlog all about what we have going on in the next two weeks! :) We are excited about launching out DVD, opening our Fitness Studio in Hermosa Beach, California and shooting a DVD series for Target for the Fonda Workout Series with WIN!  Next week both of us head home and then we are off to New York then to Toronto with Oakley Women!  Talk soon :) You are all the best!

Shake Dance Videos…

So… we decided to have a dance off!! It’s our first Tone It Up Shake Dance Contest!! Give us your best Tone It Up shake dance and recipe.  We want to see your dance as a reply to link below…

Tone It Up Shake Dance Link

There will have 10 winners that will receive over $149.99 in prizes!  The grand prize is worth over $250.  Watch the video to find out more =)  The entries so far are below!!

-Karena & Katrina

We’ve all watched her our entire lives… an award winning actress, an activist standing up for what she believes in and a business woman who is the queen of motivating people to get out of their seats.. oh and the queen of leg warmers and spandex ;)

Out to dinner with the new Fonda Girls!

Jane's Blog

It all started 6 months ago when Jane began her new DVD series.  I co-designed four new exercise videos with her.  The series is for baby boomers! The experience was amazing.  Watch It Now Entertainment did a phenomenal job with the entire project.

This summer Karena and I are working with Jane on a DVD series as the new Jane Fonda Workout Girls along side with Tara Stiles and Jeanette Jenkins!

‘I will launch at year’s end a number of exciting new fitness programs of various styles starring the new faces of fitness: Karena Dawn and Katrina Hodgson, who have a large online following and are about to open the Tone It Up Studio in Hermosa Beach; Tara Stiles, who has the Strala yoga studio in downtown Manhattan and a book, “Slim, Calm, Sexy” about to be published by Rodale; and Jeanette Jenkins, President of The Hollywood Trainer who came and “performed” (wow!!) her aerobic dancing at World Fitness Day last May 1st.’ Jane’s blog

Make sure you check out her blog at www.JaneFonda.com.  She is writing a book, has an online interactive community and is still committed to making a positive change in the world.  Karena and I will be the first in line for her book!

Surrounded by GREATNESS!

Yoga Workout with Tara Stiles

We incorporate yoga twice a week into our regular exercise routine, so for this ‘Tone It Up Tuesday’ we want to share a strength building yoga workout with the coolest yoga instructor ever, Tara Stiles!

Yoga has many benefits like increased flexibility, improved muscle tone and strength, improved posture, decreased stress, and a deeper mind/body connection.  There’s all levels of yoga too, so we encourage everyone to give it a try!

For more workouts with Tara, visit www.TaraStiles.com .

XOXO

Your Trainers,

Karena & Katrina

Some of the best inspiration for healthy, yet filling cuisine comes from other cultures. A Tajine is a Morroccan stew that is named for the unique clay pot that it is traditionally cooked in.  Don’t worry though… you can make this recipe in a regular old stock pot. We add some exotic spices to this dish to pack it full of flavor while still feeding the whole family and sticking with your diet goals!

Curry Mint Tajine

Tajine:

-  1 cup bulgur

-  2 Tbs. olive oil

-  1 large leek, cut into 1/2 inch slices

-  1 red bell pepper, diced

-  1 onion chopped

-  4 potatoes peeled and diced

-  2 carrots, peeled and sliced round

-  1 15oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

-  2 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)

-  1 cup dried apricots

-  1/2 cup black olives, sliced

-  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

-  1/8 cup chopped fresh mint

Exotic Spice Mix:

- 2 tsp. curry powder

-  2 tsp. cumin

-  1 1/2 tsp. paprika

-  1 tsp. ginger

-  1/2 tsp. turmeric

-  1/4 tsp. cinnamon

———-

———-

Begin by getting your bulgur cooking so it will be ready right when the stew is. Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Pour 1 cup of bulgur into a small unheated saucepan. Pour boiling water over bulgur, cover and allow to stand while you prepare the rest of the meal.

———-

Next, mix ingredients from exotic spice mix list together in a small bowl.

———-

Grab a large stock pot and get it on the stove top. Heat olive oil in pot over medium-high heat.  Add leek, bell pepper and onion into the pot and sauté for 3 minutes or until the onion starts to turn clear.  Add potatoes, garbanzos, carrots, garlic, and exotic spice mixture. Cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 2 cups of water, apricots and black olives. If desired add some black pepper to taste. Put a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. When the stew reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

———-

Time to eat!

Drain bulgur and dish onto plate. Pour Tajine over the bulgur and sprinkle with fresh, chopped mint and cilantro.

———-

Tips:

If desired you can add cooked, lean, boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cooked tofu to your Tajine when you add the potatoes etc. It will serve more people this way.  This recipe is also great with a side of Greek Yogurt!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ Tone It Up

Sticking to a diet plan is tough enough under normal circumstances; making daily meals, being rushed for time and fighting those frustrating cravings. Now it’s summer and of course, that means grilling season. Finding yourself at a cookout surrounded by burgers and dogs and delicious smells is enough to make anyone want to break their healthy eating regimen.

Cooking on the grill doesn’t have to be an unhealthy experience though. Outdoor cooking with vegetables can add great flavor and fun while not sacrificing on the nutritional value.  This weekend grill-out without the guilt!

One of the best candidates for a greener grill-out is the portobello mushroom. Mushrooms are always a good source of protein and the large size of portobello caps makes it possible to cook them directly on the grill without having to worry too much about them falling through. In addition, the porous texture of the mushroom makes it perfect for absorbing a marinade… a must to preserve moisture when grilling.  Add the perfect blend of spices, some extra veggies and a fresh mango salsa and these fajitas will remind you just how delicious… and good for you, grilling can be using only items on our Tone It Up diet plan grocery list!

Portobello Fajita:

4 large portobello caps (expect 2 fajitas per mushroom)

2 bell peppers (use red, orange and yellow for fun!)

1 large onion

whole wheat wraps

Marinade (Our Balsamic Citrus Dressing):

- 1 cup balsamic vinegar

- 4 tbs olive oil

- 1 fresh lemon squeezed

- 1 fresh lime squeezed

- 2 tsp sea salt

Fresh Mango Salsa:

1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced

1 roma tomato diced

1/2 red bell pepper diced

1 avocado chopped

1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

3 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp cayenne pepper or more to taste.

Pepper to taste

–

–

About two hours before you fire up the grill you’re going to want to get the mushrooms into the marinade (you can do this the night before if it’s better for your schedule.) Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.

Remove the stems from the portobello caps and place them in a 16×9 inch pan with the top side up.

Brush the marinade evenly over the mushrooms.

Flip the caps over and repeat. Apply the marinade a little more liberally on the underside of the mushrooms as this is where it will really be absorbed and you’ll really get that flavor.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.

Save left over marinade. You’ll need it later.

–

After you have the mushrooms marinating, it’s time to make the salsa.

Prepare the fruits and vegetables as described in the ingredient list.

Mix all together in a large bowl.

Cover and place in fridge.

–

Grilling Time!

Fire up the grill and set it to medium heat.

As the grill is warming up slice bell peppers and onions into long, thin strips.

Place sliced veggies in the center of a large sheet of aluminum foil and fold up the edges to form a packet. (If desired you can brush or drizzle some of the left over marinade on the veggies before you seal the packet.)

Take foil wrapped veggies, mushrooms and left over marinade out to the grill.

Use a fork to poke a few small holes in the bottom and sides of the foil packet and place it on the grill.

Place the portobello caps on the grill bottom side up (you want to allow the marinade to cook in a little bit before flipping them.)

Cook mushrooms for about five minutes on that side and then use tongs to flip. Brush marinade on top side of caps to keep them moist.

Cook for another five minutes or so until the mushrooms look done. If you like them more blackened then you can keep them on longer and flip them a couple more times. Since it’s not meat, when they are done is pretty much a matter of preference.

Pull mushrooms off of the grill with the tongs and slice them into thin strips.

Use tongs to pull foil pack off of the grill and use a fork to open it up. Add some pepper to the vegetables if desired.

Place mushrooms slices, veggies from the foil pack and salsa onto whole wheat wraps.

Fold up and enjoy !!!

Tip:

If you need to feed a lot of hungry people and don’t want to spend all night grilling mushrooms, (or if you just want to get some  extra protein) cook up some vegetarian black beans and add them to your fajitas.

Season the beans yourself with a dash of pepper, chili powder and cinnamon for improved flavor.

Enjoy!!!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ Tone It Up

It’s Tone It Up Tuesday and we are bringing you three quick moves to tone up your body in no time at all!  A couple weeks ago we led a bootcamp for a makeover event put on by Chriselle Inc., Michelle Phan, Lancome, and Forever 21.  We sat the girls down to show them the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan and discussed how beauty starts from within with proper nutrition and fitness.   Next we took the girls through our mini ‘Bikini Body Bootycamp‘ and as promised, our secret moves to a quick bikini body are below!

Here’s your printable workout:

**Do 12-15 reps for 3 sets each**

Walking Lunge with a Glute Kickback: Tones the booty and back of legs

Stand with your feet close together and step forward with one leg.  Lower your hips toward the ground and bend both knees until they are at about 90 degrees.  The back knee should come close but never touch the ground. Your front knee should be directly over the ankle.

Push up with your back leg and squeeze your glutes as you kick and lift your back leg.  From there, bring the lifted leg in front to the start position.

Booty Blaster with a Squat: Tones the sides of your legs and lifts the butt

Place the band around both legs just above your ankles.  Keep a slight bend in your knees, step to one side and land in a squat position.

Take 12-15 side squat steps to one side, then repeat in the opposite direction.  As you get stronger, your squats can get deeper and deeper.

Spiderman Push-up (tones the triceps,chest, shoulders, and tightens the waistline):

Start in a plank position on the floor.  Hands are under your shoulders and body in a straight line.

“Step” forward with your left hand and bring your left leg forward coming down into a push-up and squeezing your obliques.  Return to plank position and repeat on right side.

CARDIO! Remember that to burn that outer layer of fat, you must include cardio with your strength training.  To rev up your metabolism and turn your body into a fat burning furnace, include 20 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) with the moves above!  For more on HIIT, watch our HIIT video!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ Tone It Up

Superfoods are are plants, vegetables, roots and fruits that are highly nutritious, health forming, and disease fighting.

We like to use Boku Superfoods because we know we are getting the vitamins, anti-oxidants, minerals, probiotics, enzymes, and amino acids we need with just 1-2 scoops in our morning smoothie!

Below are our favorite superfoods that we include in our diet almost every day!

Superfood smoothie!

• 8 ounces Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 3/4 cups Blueberries
• Half sliced Banana
• 1-2 Scoops Boku Superfood
• 3 Ice Cubes

Directions:  Blend all ingredients in a blender and enjoy :)

Superfood Avocado

1. Blueberries
2. Nuts
3. Quinoa
4. Spinach and kale
5. Acai
6. Avocado
7. Salmon
8. Flaxseed
9. Fish oil
10. Oh and we love green tea event though it’s not a ‘food’.  :)

For more about Boku visit:  www.BokuSuperfoods.com

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ ToneItUp.com

This past weekend we ventured out to Hollywood to take part in a makeover event produced by Chriselle Inc.  Three girls, Alexandra, Sara, and Samantha, were flown out to Hollywood to get a complete makeover from the inside-out!  Check out our video with behind-the-scenes footage of the event below…

Subscribe to the girls’ YouTube Channel @ ToneItUp.tv!

The girls started their star treatment off by checking in to the beautiful O Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.  Next up was a complete hair makeover at the Angus M Salon in Beverly Hills.

The following morning the girls arrived ready to Tone It Up with our Bikini Body Bootycamp where we showed the girls some of our favorite Tone It Up moves!  We gave each of the girls our gym bag full of goodies including; Under Armour Workout Gear, sneakers from Asics (our favorite running shoes!!!), BOKU Superfood & Vegan Protein Powder, and the Tone It Up Diet Plan!   Following the workout, we sat down with the girls to discuss how true beauty starts from within. Eating healthy, exercise, and a healthy body image are what really get you glowing on the outside!

Next up the girls had their make-up done by the amazing Michelle Phan then were styled by L.A. fashion stylist Chriselle Lim. Chriselle outfitted the girls in some awesome clothes from Forever 21‘s Twenty by Twenty collection.  We fell in love with their line of jewelry!  After the girls were finished with their makeovers, it was time for their photo shoot with the talented fashion and editorial photographer Karla Ticas!

The girls looked amazing and you could see their confidence shining from within!  The events of the day left the girls feeling overjoyed and exhausted.  So, while they headed back to the O Hotel, the rest of the crew went out on the town to celebrate the successful event!

Thank you Chriselle Inc. for such an amazing experience for all!  We loved meeting all of our new friends!  A special thanks to Under Armour, Asics, Livewell 360, Boku Superfoods, and  Veggie Grill!

Check out our videos at ToneItUp.tv.

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ ToneItUp.com

TO WATCH THE WORKOUT VIDEO ON CBSNEWS.COM, CLICK HERE!

Below is a printable workout with step-by-step instructions and photos:

Tone It Up Dead-lift Crunch: tones the core, biceps, and the backs of the legs.

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina @ ToneItUp.com

RECIPE: Tone It Up Low Carb, Organic Blueberry Muffins!

These are what we like to call our ‘muffin top free muffins’–enjoy them without the guilt!

• 2.5 cups vanilla Boku protein powder
• 1.5 cups egg whites
• 3 tbs crushed walnuts
• 2 tbs ground flaxseed
• 2 tbs unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbs coconut oil
• 1.5 tbs cinnamon
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Combine ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Mix well.

Stir 1/2 cup blueberries into mixture.

bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until middle is cooked- tooth pick clean.

Top with powdered stevia!

We love to use Boku in many of our recipes–it provides a healthy, natural way to get your protein requirement into just about any recipe.

For anyone on the Tone It Up Diet Plan, these muffins are a perfect snack for meal 4.

Happy baking!!!

Try them with this summer treat!

Last weekend we literally entered the world of You Tube at the first annual VidCon Conference at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City.  It was an amazing weekend celebrating the online community of You Tube and packed with lots of fun meet-ups, discussions, panels, and concerts from some of our favorite YouTubers.  Check out our photos below.

VidCon 2010

Alphacat signing Kat's arm

Dave Days signed Karena's bicep!

Flex off with Michael from 'What the Buck'

Kalel "Queen Beauty"

Iman a.k.a. Alphacat already came to visit us for a TIU Bootcamp!

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Also see our main homepage @ http://www.toneitup.com

Remember: Diet is 90 percent!  Visit here to learn about our Diet Plan! :)

Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

This is a fun bench workout that will tone your entire body.  It can be done anywhere, from the gym to the park!  Watch us demonstrate below!

We suggest doing each workout for 10-12 reps and 3 sets.

1.  Bench Step-up (tones your butt, back of legs & lower abs)

Step one foot up onto a strong bench by placing the foot completely on the bench so it’s not hanging over.  While squeezing your glutes, step-up on the bench and lift your non-stepping legs knee up while squeezing your obliques.  Repeat on the same leg for 10 reps and switch to the other leg.

2.  Tri-cep Push-up to Side Plank (tones back of arms, waistline & sculpts the back)

Place your hands on the edge of the bench, keeping them in-line with your shoulders.  Keeping your elbows tucked into your sides, lower your body down for a tri-cep push-up.  When you come up, open your body to one side, coming into a side plank.  Return to plank position, perform another tri-cep push-up and a side plank on the opposite side.  Repeat.

3. Tone It Up Cross Tummy Tuck (slims the waistline & tones shoulders)

Start in a plank position on the bench with hands in line with shoulders.  Bring your right knee to left elbow while squeezing your obliques.  Return to plank position and then bring left knee to right elbow.  Repeat.

4.  Tri-cep Dip (works the back of the arms)

Start with your hands shoulder width apart on the bench. Move your feet out as far out in front of you as possible. Slowly lower your upper body down towards the ground and keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Once you reach about a 90 degreee bend in your arms, slowly push up with iusing your tri-ceps until you are back in the start position.  Repeat.

5.  V-sit (tones your abs & tops of the thighs)

Sit on the bench with hands by your butt and shoulders and legs lifted and slightly bent,  forming a “V” shape.  Slowly lower yourself down while straightening your body and come back into the “V” position.  Repeat.

Remember: Diet is 90% of fat, click here for more info on the Tone It Up Diet Plan!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

We just wrapped up teaching our 3-week-long ‘Bikini Body Bootycamp’ and cooking healthy recipes for the TV Guide Channel at the Muscle Milk Light Women’s Fitness Retreat in Beverly Hills.  The health and wellness retreat was a chance for celebrities to come enjoy spa treatments, attend health seminars, and train with top trainers, like Jarett Del Bene (Lauren Conrad‘s trainer), Andrea Orbeck (trains a number of Victoria’s Secret Models), the infamous celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, and Tone It Up!

Some of the celebrities who attended were Stephanie Pratt, Audrina Patridge and Lo Bosworth from The Hills, as well as Lindsay Lohan and little sis Ali Lohan.  We had the pleasure of meeting a lot of amazing people.  Some of our favorite moments were meeting the Pussycat Dolls, who also loved our pancakes =) , Stacey Kiebler and Estella Warren, who kicked butt in our bootcamp!

Before the workout classes, guests were outfitted in Under Armour activewear from the boutique that was set up in the private estate. Oakley provided eyewear for active lifestyles. Carasoin Day Spa provided spa services, and Alterna styled hair.

The retreat was meant to promote women leading a healthy and active lifestyle, which is what Tone It Up is all about!

We also met up with one of Katrina’s friends from college, Jarett Del Bene. He’s such a fun trainer!

We even saw our favorite TV Guide host Adrianna Costa.  After picking up a few pointers from Andrea Orbeck, we shot an episode for the TV Guide Channel with The Hills star Stephanie Pratt. What a nice girl!  She was a lot of fun to shoot with.  She even did our shake dance with us that we always do in our videos!  We showed her how to make our Protein Pancakes and our Morning Mocha Smoothie.  Here’s the video:

Here’s the recipe!  Pancake Recipe Link

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Also visit our homepage @ http://www.toneitup.com

Your Trainers,

Karena & Katrina

A lot of you have been asking about our secret weapon in the morning… how we get our day started… we make our Tone It Up Protein Pancakes!!

They are easy to make… all you need is about 5 minutes!

Protein Pancake Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder (organic rice protein or whey).  We love our Boku protein powder… it’s organic, no chemicals and is approved by the USDA as an organic product… ingredients are brown rice, organic coconut, vanilla bean and enzymes!
• 1/2 banana (mashed)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs flaxseed
• Add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries after the above ingredients are mixed together.

Pour into a pan that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray- heat on medium.  Cook one side until you see the little bubbles… just like cooking any pancake! Flip over (careful!) and cook on the other size until the middle is done (peek inside with a fork).

Top with two sliced strawberries and powdered stevia.  ENJOY your protein pancakes!  :)  If you need more carbohydrates, you may add 1-tbs agave on top.

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

For more cooking recipes & videos, visit ToneItUp.TV

It’s Independence Day and we have the perfect bikini workout to get you ready for that red, white, and blue bikini!

Here’s our yummy fruit parfait for the 4th of July!!

Have a great 4th of July Weekend!

xoxox,

Karena & Katrina

With Summer here, there’s alot of bbq’s!  With our busy schedule we love to whip up this quick and healthy Summer Cucumber Recipes!  Cucumbers are always a refreshing hit at any Summer get together :).  Cucumbers have  a ton of health benefits too; Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron.  Cucumber is also the best natural diuretic known–which is great for bikini season, right?

Creamy Cucumber Summer Salad-

Directions:  Mix Greek yogurt with green onion, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Add cucumbers and toss to coat with dressing….and enjoy! It’s that easy!

Spa Cucumber Ginger Juice -

1/2 cup cucumber juice

1 tbsp ginger syrup

1 tbsp lime juice

1 cup ginger ale

2 mint leaves (torn)

For the Cucumber Juice:  Peel and puree 2 cucumbers

For the Ginger Syrup: Place equal parts sugar and Stevia natural sweetener and water in a saucepan.  Add 1 tbsp peeled and roughly cut ginger.  Warm until Stevia is dissolved.  Seep for 10 minutes. Remove ginger chuncks and cool.

Directions:  In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Stir until mixed well.  Serve over ice and enjoy!

Tone It Up left our “bubble” of Manhattan Beach to head up to Napa Valley for the weekend!

It was the most amazing women’s retreat in Napa Valley.  Oakley’s “Perform Beautifully” Experience.  The weekend was definitely an experience—first off we wanted to make sure we were relaxed and ready for the action ahead of us, so we indulged in the massages at  the Silverado Resort spa.  :)

That evening we had a welcome dinner and had the pleasure of meeting all the wonderful women who flew in from all over!  After a great dinner and delicious wine, it was off to sleep before our early wake up call.

The next day we led the group through non-stop fun with a 5K race through Trefethen Family Vineyards (I think we found our new favorite Cabernet Sauvignon!)  Then we went biking to three different wineries on our Trek bikes.  Karena got lost… Katrina broke her bike… but all was good… just typical!!  We really wish we could have taken more pictures of the ride.  The mountains and landscape was so breathtaking.

We ended the evening with a private dinner at Domain Chandon Winery’s Etoile Restaurant.  Our favorite part?  The dessert!  We think everyone realized our love for chocolate :)

Sunday morning we were up at 5am to jump on a hot-air balloon ride!   Seeing Napa Valley from 4,ooo feet above the ground in open air is something we will never forget :).  There was something very calming about the silence up in the air that high.  It actually felt very warm.  As the sun came up we all looked over the edge and took it all in.  We actually went about 15 minutes without talking.  What a great way to start the day!

After we touched down… or crashed down (as you can see in the video) we led a hike through the Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.  We even brought our Peanut Butter Snack Bites to share for a pre hike snack!

Sunday night was the farewell dinner and celebration with all forty women!

Great company, amazing wine, exploring new places and trying new things…..now that’s a weekend of ‘Performing Beautifully’ :)
We truly want to thank  Oakley and all the women we had the pleasure of getting to know in Napa Valley for such an unforgettable weekend!

xooo Karena & Katrina

LARABAR, Our Favorite Snack Bar!

If you follow our videos regularly, then you know we LOVE Larabars.  They are unprocessed, raw, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, vegan and kosher.  All that and wrappeded up in the most delicious snack ever!

If you compare a Larabar to other snack bars, you will find Larabar keeps it simple with dates, walnuts, dried fruits, cinnamon, almonds, and other raw ingredients.  Other snack bars often have ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, polydextrose, sugar, glycerin, partially hydrogenated oils, and a variety of other ingredients we can’t pronounce.  We always say; if you can’t pronounce it, you probably should’nt be putting it in your body!

Recently we have been recieving requests to share some recipes similiar to that of one of our favorite bars, the Larabar!  If you have’nt seen our Raw Krazy Koconut Karob Bites recipe video, it’s posted below too :).

Here’s some of our other favorite recipes similiar to the Larabar that we love to make!

CHERRY BARS:

1/4 cup chopped dates (roughly chopped whole dates, not pre-chopped)
1/4 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/3 cup whole pecans, almonds or walnuts
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Place the dates and cherries in a food processor or blender.  Blend until until it becomes like a paste. Transfer ingredients to a medium bowl.

Add the nuts to the processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the nuts, along with the cinnamon, to the bowl with the fruit paste. Use your fingers to knead the nuts into the paste.  Next you can spread the paste out in a pan and cut or squish into bar shape form and wrap in plastic to store.

**For the recipes below, follow the same instructions as above, but substitute the different ingredients.

BLUEBERRY BLISS BARS:

1/4 cup dried blueberries 1/4 cup dates

1/3 cup almonds

1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

drop of almond extract to the mix

CASHEW COOKIE:

1/3 cup dates for the fruit

1/2 cup raw cashews for the nuts.

PB & J SANDWICH BAR:

1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries

1/4 cup raisins or dates; use

1/2 cup raw or roasted peanuts (lightly salted or unsalted)

ENJOY!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

KRAZY KOCONUT KAROB BITES!!

Karena’s Shape 8-page editorial, ‘Speedy Sculpting Secrets’ was shot by John Hicks at the infamous ‘Muscle Beach’ in Santa Monica, CA. You can also catch Karena on the cover of Competitor Magazine.

It’s Tone It Up Tuesday and we are sharing our killer cardio workout- High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) - that will promise to break your fitness plateau by burning more fat and increase your endurance!   High Intensity Interval Training has become a popular way to lose weight, tone up, and overall improvement of speed, endurance, and fitness.  HITT workouts consist of burst of high intensity activity combined with a short period of lower intensity when you allow your energy systems to regenerate so you can continue with the high intensity activity.  This is a very demanding workout, but great for producing results!  HIIT also produces EPOC, Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption.  This is increased oxygen consumption and increase in metabolism after strenuous activity.   The body continues to require oxygen at a level that exceeds oxygen requirements when the exercise began in order to reoxygenate the blood, restore the body’s pre workout temperature, heart rate , and breathing .  Therefore, it’s work to restore the body to it’s pre exercise state!  Below are three High Intensity Interval Training (HITT) workouts for you to try.

We suggest doing at least 30 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training three days per week to get that bikini body ready for Summer!

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Workout #1: HIIT Treadmill Workout:  Intervals with an incline.

Warm-up: 5 minute walk or jog at a comfortable pace.

Find a Challenging Treadmill Setting: Find a treadmill setting that you can sustain for no more than one minute.   Set your incline and speed to a slightly higher than what you are comfortable with.  Learn what your one-minute limit is.  After one minute, you should feel like you just sprinted away from a cheetah ;).

1 Minute Work – 2 Minutes Recovery: Next, after going all-out for one minute (the work interval), slow down for two minutes (the recovery interval).   Everyone’s recovery interval will vary depending on your fitness level.  “Easy” may be a 2.5 mph walk at zero incline, or a 3.5 mph jog.   After two minutes in recovery, you should feel ready to go full force again.  Your heart rate will stay elevated through the entire High Intensity Interval Training Workout.

**To determine if you are pushing yourself hard enough, use the Rate of Perceived Exertion Scale; An RPE of 1 means  very easy.  A 9 to 10 means you’re so out of breath you cannot speak.  If you have been working out alot and have a higher fitness level, aim for a 9-10 during the work intervals.  If you are still building up your fitness level, aimfor 6-7.

Do 5-8 Intervals followeed by a 10 minute cool down.

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Workout #2: HIIT Track Workout

Warm-up: 5 minutes brisk walk or jog.

30 Seconds Work- 2 Minute Recovery: Give your maximum effort to sprint for 30 seconds on the track,  slow down to a light jog or walk, depending on your fitness level, for 2 minutes.  The idea is that you are going so hard during the work interval that you will need to walk during the recovery period.

Do 6-10 Intervals followed by a 10 minute cool down.

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Workout #3: HIIT Endurance Bike Ride

Tone It Up loves HIIT endurance bikes rides to improve performance during a triathlon.  This is a great workout so you can save time on long distance rides by incorporating interval training.Follow this High Intensity Interval Training Workout that can be done outdoors or on a spin bike at the gym!

Remember:  Always vary your speeds for each ride.  A little variety leads to improvement on your times!

60 Minute Ride: After warming up at a comfortable pace for 10 minutes, stand up on your bike and accerlate for 30 seconds, sit down and keep your speed for another 30 seconds, then gradually back down to a comfortable pace.  Repeat this this interval every 5 minutes.

Let us know how your High Intensity Interval Training Workouts go!

PS– can we just say that you are all doing so amazing :)  We love hearing from all of you!  Keep up the great work and remember you are in control of your success and health!!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

Tone It Up

Recently, I had the pleasure of shooting with Muscle & Fitness Magazine! The crew was the best part of the day…. oh and the cupcake at the end :)

The photographer Ian Logan made me feel incredibly comfortable… even when I was deadlifting an Olympic bar in place for a picture :) He had great pointers and it was amazing to work with him.

Check out his work at IanLoganPhoto.com.

My outfit was lululemon with Asics workout shoes… Cindy must have read my mind… or spoke to my training clients!

The Fashion Director Cindy Whitehead is the number one and ONLY Sports Stylist. She is the coolest chick around.

As an athlete she knows how it feels to be moving around in a sport, but have the desire to be comfortable and look nice at the same time. She made me feel athletic and sexy in a lululemon top with the ‘boogie on’ shorts. Her website is SportsStylist.com. Now we can all look good while doing what we love!

My make-up was done by Gillian Whitlock. She works on commercials, magazines, on videos and with celebrities. She can make anyone look flawless… even when they are under 4 HOT lamps working out.

Her approach was to make me look natural and healthy. I have asked her to come with me everywhere so she can make me feel beautiful… but I don’t know how her cute puppies would feel about me taking her away 24/7 :) Check out her gorgeous work at GillianWhitlockMakeup.com.

THE WORKOUT!!

I have to admit… I was sore :) No boot-camp or sand sprints could have prepared me for what I had to do. David Barr, certified personal trainer and torturist helped me through a muscle burning workout. It will appear in the 2010 Muscle & Fitness Trainer’s notebook. My favorite move of the day was the v-pike… a move I am still working on! ;) I literally had to go from a lying position to sitting all the way up to touching my toes. This move is amazing for targeting the lower abs and thighs. It drove me crazy that I couldn’t do them without a TON of effort… so David will be happy to know that I work on them every day now! Oh and… I make my clients go through the pain too :) Follow this link for David’s articles and workout videos on his M&F Blog! Also, thanks to Leith O’Leary and Chris Hobrecker the creative and photo directors :) Hopefully you won’t go with the ‘scared look’ photos.

Muscle & Fitness Magazine is a great publication for fun workouts, healthy recipes and everything in between. There is a mens magazine and a female magazine. If you haven’t picked up this month’s issue with cover model Kathryn Bopp then check it out at http://www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/.

A HUGE thanks to Erica Schultz from M&F, the Coordinator of it all! I had a great time with the whole team. I also enjoyed a workout with Erica after the shoot :)

Thanks again,

Katrina Hodgson

BS, NASM, AFAA, AAAI

muscle and fitness magazine. muscle and fitness hers. fitness model fitness models. mandf hers. m&f hers. Ian Logan Cindy Whitehead erica schultz , Gillian Whitlock , Leith O’Leary and Chris Hobrecker , David Barr

Veggie Grill for ‘We Love Food Fridays’ :)

Tone It Up has a lot of favorite healthy and delicious places to eat and we want to share them with you!

One of our very favorite places to go is Veggie Grill in Manhattan Beach, California at the El Segundo Plaza.  It is the best tasting vegetarian food!

Veggie Grill is not your steriotypical “bland” organic vegetarian restaurant.  With their creative menu of soups, salads, and sandwhiches, full of intense flavor, it caters to even the non-vegetarian.  We have turned a ton of our ‘non-healthconscience’ friends into veggie fans!

Tone It Up‘s favorite dish is the ‘All Hail Kale Salad’ with  added avocado and a side of the most amazing Sweet Potatoe fries–to share of course ;).  They are baked first, then flash fried with no trans fat.

Oh–did we mention it’s not bad on the wallet either?   With everything on the menu staying under $10 it’s affordable eating and you know what we say about eating healthy… you save money later in life!

If you live or visit Southern California, Veggie Grill is a MUST EAT! Check out their website for more info: www.VeggieGrill.com

This is how we ‘attempted’ to make our own ‘All Hail Kale Salad’ from Veggie Grill =)

• Chop up 1 cup of kale  & 1/4 cup red cabbage
• We added 1/4 avocado
• 1/4 cup shredded carrots
• Add 6 walnuts
• Corn salsa– 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes, 2 tbs corn, 2 tbs chopped onion, fresh lime squeeze, add a little cilantro and sea salt.
• Add grilled tempeh…
• Oh yah.. and add some quinoa!! ;)

Tempeh is made from whole soybeans.  It is fiber-rich and is much more ‘tender’ tasting than even chicken or tofu! It is also rich in protein, soy isoflavones (53 mg isoflavones per 100g) and a great source of mono unsaturated fats (cholesterol free). It’s also packed with calcium, iron and B-vitamins- great for hair skin and nails!   The natural tempeh fermentation process also makes the soya more digestible.  Grill it lightly at home– either with olive oil or coat with sesame seeds!   If you can’t find tempah at your local health food store, try grilling tofu :)

Ginger Papaya Dressing

In a food processor or blender we added…

• 1 fresh, ripe papaya
• 1/4 cup white rice vinegar (we made more of a vinaigrette)
• 2 tbs agave nectar
• 2 tbs fresh grated ginger root
• 1 fresh lemon juice
• a pinch of sea salt

It wasn’t quite like Veggie Grill’s salad and dressing, but we tried!!

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Your trainers,

Karena & Katrina

Tone It Up

P.S.- If you want to join Tone It Up on a fun filled week of fitness, parties, and more ‘Bikini Body Bootycamps’, join us in Turks and Caicos for GoBeachFest 2010!!!  Everyone is welcome :)….book soon, before it’s sold out!

Workout:  Do each move 15-16 reps and repeat each circuit twice.

CIRCUIT 1:

Squats with a Bicep Curl- (tones the glutes, quads, biceps) Holding 5-8 lb dumsbells, stand with feet hip distance apart.  Squat down, keeping your abs tight, weight in your heels, and make sure not to extend your knees past your toes.  Return to standing position.  With straight arms and palms facing outward, perform a bicep curl by lifting the dumbells to your shoulders, then bring arms back to start position.  Repeat, starting with Squat.

Deadlift with an Upright Row- (tones the backs of the legs– hamstrings, glutes, shoulders)Holding your dumbells, stand with your feet hip distance apart, slight bend in the knee, and palms facing your thighs.  Keeping your back straight and eyes looking forward, bend at the waist, letting the dumbbells hang to the floor. Use your hamstrings and glutes to pull your body back to start.  As you rise, lift the dumbbells by raising your elbows until they reach your chest. Lower them back down to your waist, and repeat.

Figure Eight Back Lunges- (tones up glutes, quads, obliques) Stand with feet hip distance apart and holding an 8-10 lb dumbell.  Step the right leg back into a lunge.  At the same time, sweep the dumbell to the left, down and up in a half circle (half of the figure 8 motion).  Return to start position and repeat on the other side.

Overhead Tricep Extension- (tones the back of the arms) While balancing on one leg , hold a dumbell straight overhead, slowly lower forearm towards head,  then raise the dumbbell overhead again.  Do this until failure.

CIRCUIT 2: Grab your exercise ball for this circuit!

Chest Press- (Lifts the buns– theglutes, tones the back of the legs- thehamstrings, and works the chest, triceps) Holding your dumbells by your chest, sit on the exercise ball and move your feet forward and roll out until your upper body is resting on the ball.  Your booty should be in line with your shoulders, like a tabletop position.  Hold this position and bring the dumbells to your chest with palms facing forward.   Using your chest muscles, bring the dumbells upward.  Lower and repeat.

Chest Flys- (lifts those glutes, hamstrings, & chest)  Stay in the tabletop position, bring your arms upward with dumbells and palms facing eachother.  Slowly lower the weights down to your sides keeping a slight bend in your arms.  Lift weights up to start position and repeat.

Tricep Extension- (tones up the glutes, hamstrings, triceps) Remaing in that tabletop position, extend your arms straight upward with your dumbells and palms facing eachother.  Slowly lower your forearm towards your head and return to start position.  Repeat.

Ball Incline Bicep Curl- (Tones up the Biceps) From the tabletop position lower your hips to just above the floor.  Rest the your back and back of arms on the ball.  Hold dumbells close to the ground and slowly bring upward to just about your shoulders.  return to start and repeat.
Ab Rollout- (abs, shoulders) Start out standing, with your hands resting on a stability ball out in front of you.  Roll forward, allowing your arms to go out along the ball. You will be stretched out in a straight line, and your elbows will be centered over the ball.  Return to the starting position and repeat.

CIRCUIT 3:

Ball Leg Curl- (Lifts the back the legs and strengthens the core!!  Hamstrings, glutes) Lay on your back with arms to your side and palms facing down.   With straight legs,  place feet on top of the ball and lift your hips upward.  Find your balance in this position.  Using your hamstrings, roll the ball towards you while lifting your hips.  Return to straight legs and repeat.

Leg Extention with a Crunch- (Inner thighs, abs) Hold the ball between and hold one dumbell.  Lay on your back with legs bent at 90 degress and arms exteded overhead with the dumbell.  At the same time as you straighten your legs crunch upward.  return to start and repeat.

Side Lunges with Front Raise- (Tones up the inner & outer thighs– the glutes & shoulders) Standing with feet hip distance apart and holding one dumbell by your hips, take a wide step to the left while at the same time, raising the dumbell forward until shoulder height.  Push back into the start position and repeat.  After your work the left side, repeat on the right.

Tone It Up Tummy Tuck- (Tones up the abs, shoulders)Starting in a plank position, bring your left knee to left elbow while crunching your obliques.  Return to starting position and repeat on right side.

CIRCUIT 4:

Bent Row-(Tones up the stubborn part of the back where those tank tops hit!) Kneel with hand on knee and dumbell  extended down towards floor.  Pull dumbbell to up to side until it meets your rib cage.  Lower back down and repeat.

Band Walk- (butt blasters!!  tones up the glutes, hips, quads) Place a mini-band around both ankles, stand in a  half squat position with feet hip distance apart.  Step to the side, never letting the feet come close together.  Step 15 to one side and 15 back.
**Mini bands can be purchased at Perform Better

AB CIRCUIT- (make sure your lower back is pressed into the ground the entire time) Do 20 each move.
Lower body crunch
Bicycle
V sit
Twist

Have a great workout!!

Your trainers, Karena & Katrina

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Thanks for all your messages, your video responses and your inspiration… you are the reason why we can continue doing what we love!

We went grocery shopping at Whole Foods in Manhattan Beach, CA! Watch our video to see what we put in our grocery bag. Among lots of healthy fruits, veggies, and whole foods, two favorite items we share with you are Stonyfield Organic Greek Yogurt (they are from Katrina’s hometown Londonderry New Hampshire and one of Karena and Katrina’s favorite snacks!) and Bonterra Vineyards organic wine (as you know we like to enjoy some vino, in moderation, of course!).

We are also crazy about Kombucha!  For info, go to… http://www.synergydrinks.com/

We prefer to do our grocery shopping at either Whole Foods or Trader Joes.   These stores have great options for all-natural, whole and nutrient dense organic foods.  Its important to stay away from refined and processed foods because they are linked to cancers, diabetes, heart disease, and a shorter life span.  The entire obesity epidemic is not because of ‘fatty foods’ or ‘carbs’… it’s from the chemicals and fake sugars.  If we really take a look at what has changed in the past 20-30 years… it’s all the junk on the shelves that provide you zero nutritional value.  if you can’t pronounce the indridents on the back of a package… then your body probably shouldn’t digest it.

‘Eating healthy is too expensive…’

We receive alot of emails wondering if the cost of eating healthy is higher.  We understand that the economy is not at it’s best and alot of you who message us are college students or single mothers and find it difficult to justify spending more money on organic foods and other healthier food options.  We like to think of it this way….organic and other nutrient dense foods are healthier and full of more nutrients than conventionally grown or processed foods and may even have the power to prevent cancer!  By eating healthy food closest to it’s natural state,  you are actually saving money compared to packaged ‘junk’ and you’ll also save by preventing expensive medical bills later on!  How much would you pay for your life?  Try shopping at a local farmer’s market too.

If after watching this video and you still need guidance on your diet, we offer our Tone It Up Diet Plan that comes with a detailed grocery list of everything you need stocked in your kitchen and our personal favorite healthy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.   We give you exactly how many calories, grams of carbohydrates, protein and fat to take in at each meal.   The plan also tells you when to eat certain foods at what time of the day; which is very important for your metabolism, hormone balance, muscle recovery, insulin balances and digestion!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and if you missed our Memorial Day workout, watch it here.

Your Trainers,

Karena and Katrina

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