Karena: I’m from Indiana and Katrina’s from New Hampshire! I think it’s hard for anyone to live in California and not get a little sea salt in their hair and wear flip flops every day.
Karena: We met at Equinox! I was training for a triathlon and had a shoot coming up. Katrina was a trainer and asked me for my number to train me. We realized we were neighbors and started hanging out. It was like we knew each other our whole lives.
Almost immediately we started Tone It Up. We wanted it to be a blog where girls like us could come support one another to be fit and healthy.
Katrina: When Karena and I first started TIU we didn’t really know what it would turn into. We wanted to promote healthy living, balance and fun, so when we started doing videos on the beach, more and more people asked us to do beach workouts.
We owe it to our following for everything we’ve done. They’ve steered us in the direction that we’ve gone and that’s a balanced lifestyle that includes fitness, nutrition, fun videos and some sand between our toes.
Katrina: Thanks! It seems like a slow climb, but we’re new to a lot of people. We both began our careers in fitness over 7 years ago, so we’re grateful we’re able to do what we love and help others for our careers.
A lot of producers and networks have contacted us about TV, but nothing has come of it. We don’t mind. We will forever blog and have our website-- with TV or no TV.
Karena: When people say hi to us, we are shocked and really excited. We’re not sure if we’re right for the big screen just yet. We’re more than happy to be on laptops and iphones ☺
Karena: Surprisingly we’ve been really lucky with the most positive community we could ever wish for. If any negativity lands itself in our community, our members swoop in and let them know it’s not the place for their comments.
Katrina: I did feel very brave posting the pics! I actually felt relieved more than anything. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin, 25 pounds overweight. I’m a trainer… so I felt a lot of pressure to walk the talk. I graduated with a degree in Exercise Science, received my CPT in NASM, AFAA and AAAI and I specialized in Nutrition, pre and post-natal and I still couldn’t get myself healthy.
I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. Doctors told my parents I was the heaviest child in my school and I needed to do something about it when I was 11. I started doing sports at the age of 12 and it helped my self-confidence. To this day I struggle, but my nutrition plan is my lifestyle now. Our NEW Beach Babe DVD has so many moves I incorporate into my workouts. My favorite workouts are the Bikini Sculpt and HIIT the Beach- High Intensity Interval Training!
Katrina: Perfect Fit Protein is a certified organic, non-GMO, raw, gluten-free, dairy and soy-free, kosher, vegan friendly protein powder. It’s a superfood!! We developed it after we couldn’t find something that was not only organic, but affordable for our community. After 2 years, voila!
We’ve never worked so hard to make something happen for our community! Protein is not only for muscle repair, but every process in your entire body. It also helps with blood sugar levels, provides you with essential amino acids and keeps your hair, skin and nails healthy. Protein also increases your metabolism, making you leaner because it has a thermic effect; meaning it takes more calories to digest it.
We use Perfect Fit to make our Perfect Fit Pancakes or just a raw shake with almond milk, ground flaxseed, banana and strawberries.
Karena: I like to wear a lot of blacks and greys with a pop of color somewhere. Katrina will wear lots of color from head to toe, so we balance each other out. We also love to wear mala beads and a great pair of running shades. Accessories are a girl’s best friend- even when she’s working out!
Katrina: We’ve been part of the Oakley family for a while. Karena started to wear Oakley sunglasses when she was competing in a Triathlon seven years ago. They’ve supported our blog since we had 10 followers… so we’ll support them forever.
Katrina: We’d love to see thong spandex with pants underneath come back in style. Possibly Oakley can be the first to bring em back!
Haha, okay seriously- we love that organic eating and green living is becoming mainstream. Now that is cool and here to stay!
Karena: On the weekends we like to paint, get together with girlfriends, search for kitties that need homes, enjoy a few cocktails or do movie nights.
Karena: We’re just your average normal girls who enjoy weekend cocktails, wine tasting, girl’s nights and date nights. Most of our community does too. We love to provide healthier drink choices and promote moderation.
We’ll never tell someone "no", we’ll only tell them how to make it work--the same goes for our own lifestyle! Our goal is to have a life of balance and happiness.
Katrina: Something that does rub us the wrong way is people who can’t see past their own opinions in health and fitness. If we had any advice to give them…there’s no single road or path you need to follow. You should just do what works for you and encourage others to do the same. We’re all unique!