If you were anywhere near a computer or a smartphone in 2010, you probably remember the beach. Specifically, that sun-drenched, high-saturation aesthetic of Manhattan Beach where two best friends were basically reinventing what it meant to work out from home. Karina Dawn and Katrina Scott, the founders of Tone It Up, didn't just build a brand; they built a legit empire before "influencer" was even a common job title.
It’s wild to look back.
Most people see the protein powders in Target now or the slick app interface and assume it was always this polished corporate machine. Honestly? It started with a $3,000 investment and a YouTube channel. They were filming workouts on the sand, often getting interrupted by the tide or random passersby, just trying to make fitness feel less like a chore and more like a hangout session with your girlier, more athletic friends.
The Reality Behind the Karina and Katrina Tone It Up Success
So, why did it work? There were plenty of trainers back then. Jillian Michaels was screaming at people on TV, and P90X was making everyone do plyometrics until they puked. Then came Karina and Katrina Tone It Up, offering something that felt... well, nice.
They tapped into a specific "BFF" energy. They weren't just your trainers; they were your "TIU girls." They shared their lives, their weddings, their struggles with bloating, and eventually, their journeys into motherhood. This wasn't just about getting abs. It was about a lifestyle that involved wine, coffee, and "booty calls"—which, in their world, just meant a fasted morning cardio session.
Katrina Scott, with her background in Health Science and her experience as a master trainer, brought the technical foundation. Karina Dawn, an athlete with a knack for triathlons and a very grounded, yoga-influenced vibe, balanced her out. Together, they created the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan, which was basically the Bible for thousands of women.
Why the Community Actually Stuck Around
You can buy a workout plan anywhere. You can find free videos on TikTok in two seconds today. But in the early 2010s, the "TIU Community" was a beast of its own. It was one of the first times we saw a brand successfully use a hashtag (#TIUteam) to create a self-sustaining support group.
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Women weren't just following Karina and Katrina; they were following each other. They were meeting up in local parks. They were holding "check-ins." It was social media at its most wholesome, before everything became about the algorithm and rage-baiting.
Honestly, the "Secret Sauce" was the authenticity of their friendship. People could tell they actually liked each other. In a world of curated "collabs," their partnership felt—and was—deeply real. They lived together in the early days. They built the equipment themselves.
Facing the Evolution of Fitness Trends
Fitness is fickle. One day everyone is doing HIIT, the next day it's "low-impact" only, then suddenly everyone is obsessed with Zone 2 cardio. Karina and Katrina Tone It Up had to navigate these shifts while their own lives were changing.
The brand eventually moved from just PDFs and YouTube videos to a high-tech app. They brought on other trainers like Chevy Rough and Stefanie Williams to diversify the offerings. This was a turning point. Some of the "OG" fans missed the simplicity of just the two founders, but from a business perspective, it was the only way to survive.
Then came the life changes.
Katrina has been incredibly open about her journey with secondary infertility and IVF. This was a huge departure from the "perfect beach life" aesthetic of the early years. It was raw. It was painful. And strangely, it made the brand more relevant than ever. It proved that Tone It Up wasn't just for 22-year-olds with no responsibilities; it was for women going through the hardest parts of life.
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Karina, meanwhile, leaned heavily into the mental health and wellness side of things. She’s always been the "chill" to Katrina’s "fire," and that balance kept the brand from feeling one-dimensional.
Let's Talk About the Nutrition Plan Controversy
It wasn't all sunshine. Over the years, some critics pointed out that the early iterations of the nutrition plan were perhaps too restrictive or focused heavily on "leaning out." In the current era of "body neutrality" and "food freedom," some of those early 2010s slogans don't age perfectly.
However, to their credit, the brand evolved.
They moved away from the "bikini body" rhetoric and started focusing more on strength, longevity, and feeling energized. They leaned into plant-based proteins and clean ingredients long before it was a grocery store standard. They adapted. That’s why you still see their products on the shelves at major retailers like Ulta and CVS. Most "fitness influencers" from 2012 have vanished. They haven't.
The Business of Being a "TIU Girl" in 2026
Building a brand is hard. Keeping it for over fifteen years? That's almost impossible.
The Karina and Katrina Tone It Up story is now a case study in brand longevity. They managed to transition from "girls on a beach" to "co-founders of a multi-million dollar corporation" without losing the core community that started it all.
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They’ve also mastered the art of the pivot.
- Studio Tone It Up: They launched an app that allows for live-streaming and on-demand classes.
- Retail Presence: They moved beyond the digital space into physical products, from protein powders to gummy vitamins.
- Life Integration: They didn't hide their aging or their life changes; they made them part of the brand.
If you’re looking at Tone It Up today, you’re seeing a more mature version of fitness. It’s less about the "7-day slim down" and more about the "life-long habit."
Actionable Steps for Your Own Fitness Journey
If you're inspired by the TIU philosophy but don't know where to start, you don't actually need to buy every supplement they sell. You can start small.
First, find your "why" that isn't aesthetic. Karina and Katrina always preached that the "workout high" was better than the "mirror view." Find a movement you actually enjoy, whether it's yoga, lifting heavy, or just walking the dog.
Second, prioritize community. The reason TIU worked was that people didn't do it alone. Find a workout buddy or an online group. Accountability is the only thing that beats a lack of motivation on a rainy Tuesday morning.
Third, focus on hydration and protein. If you look at their nutrition philosophy, those are the two non-negotiables. Most people are chronically dehydrated and under-eating protein, which leads to those mid-afternoon energy crashes.
Finally, give yourself grace. The biggest lesson from the evolution of Karina and Katrina is that your body will change. Your goals will change. You might be in "bikini mode" one year and "survival mode" the next. That’s okay. The point is to keep showing up in whatever capacity you can.
Fitness isn't a destination you reach and then stop. It's a relationship you have with your body for the rest of your life. Whether you're doing a "booty call" workout on the beach or just stretching in your living room while the kids sleep, you're doing the work. That's the real legacy of the Tone It Up movement.