Karena Dawn - Tone It Up: 28 Days to Fit, Fierce, and Fabulous

To the Tone It Up community: We are so grateful for all the love and support you provide for us and for each other each day. You inspire us daily to keep living our dream and continue to motivate others to live happy and fulfilling lives.

Shes that girl you see with the UNMISTAKABLE something.

Shes NEVER AFRAID to go after what she wants.

She TAKES CARE of herself, for herself.

She TONES her body, her mind, and her soul. Because she knows that if youre missing one, you dont really have the others.

She is BEAUTIFUL inside and out.

She works out because she LOVES HER BODY, not because she hates it.

She EATS HEALTHY FOOD. What she puts in her body is the fuel that powers her happy life.

She is the best girlfriend you could ask for: LOYAL, LOVING, up for anything.

She LAUGHS... A LOT... and never takes herself too seriously.

She doesnt dwell on the little things and knows how to LIVE in the moment.

She sets out to make a FANTASTIC life for herself every single day. She knows the secret to achieving happiness is to live it.

She stands tall with her shoulders back and heart open. She smiles. She is RADIANT because she knows how lucky she is to be strong and healthy and that she has the courage and tools to live her dreams.

She is FIT in body, FIERCE in mind, FABULOUS in life.

She is UNSTOPPABLE .

And in 28 days, she will be you.

Contents

Introduction

Welcome, gorgeous gals, to our very first Tone It Up book. Were so thrilled youre here! Get ready, because the next 28 days are going to be a fantastic ride. Youll sweat, tone, nourish, empower, and laugh your way to your fittest, fiercest, most fabulous body and life!

Many of you already know us from our Tone It Up community. (Hi, TIU girls! How exciting is this?!) If youre new to our world, were extra happy to have you, because youre about to discover some of the most inspiring friendships you can possibly imagine. Tone It Up is more than just a fitness brand; were a worldwide community of strong, confident girlfriends who support each other in making our dreams happen and living exciting, happy, and healthy lives. But first lets back up a little so we can tell you how it all began...

In 2009 we were just two best friends with a vision. Both industry professionalsKatrina, a fitness instructor and nutritionist, and Karena, a fitness model, triathlete, and spokespersonwed experienced firsthand the power of fitness to change our lives. We wanted to share that passion and create an active lifestyle brand that all women could relate to.

So with just a camera, two bikinis, and our determination in hand, we began filming homemade workout videos right on the beach near our Manhattan Beach home. (It was quite a process learning to work all the equipment. Well admit it: More than once, we would film all day before realizing we forgot to turn on the mics. Ouch!) When we put those first videos up on YouTube, we werent sure if our audience was out there. But a few people tuned in... and then a few more... and a few more. It was happening!

Next we launched our Tone It Up Meet-Ups, blasting out through social media a time and place where we were going to hold a free workout session, and women showed upin droves! They would line up around the block with these beautiful smiles and infectious enthusiasm, and for 45 minutes we would sweat, stretch, lunge, and laugh together. Something magical was happening. Each time was like a full-on fitness party with hundreds of like-minded girlfriends.

The most incredible part was how genuinely they were connecting with us and we were connecting with them. Every woman has a story when it comes to her body and self-care, and as we shared our personal struggles and experiences with them, they were opening up about everything from body image or food issues to difficult transitions they made and how fitness became their motivation (and outlet) for making real changes in their lives.

We felt honored to be trusted with so many of their inspiring stories. There was the mother and daughter team from New Jersey who each lost 70 pounds doing our workouts together; the circle of military wives in San Diego who banded together to tone up before their significant others came home from overseas (and to escape the loneliness that can be part of that life); the boyfriend of a Tone It Up girl who stood in line for 2 hours at one of our appearances just to thank us on behalf of his girlfriend and let us know how much the encouragement meant to her.

The sisterhood wed lived in our own friendship was blossoming into a full-fledged community, with Tone It Up members connecting with one othereven without us. In cities around the country they would find each other through social media and meet up not just to work out but to hang out! Its usually hard to meet truly good girlfriends, but here it was all about women meeting women and creating real friendships based on building each other up rather than tearing each other down. We ourselves met through fitness, and by coming together to support one another, we were able to overcome personal obstacles and cheer each other on to follow our dreams. Just like us, these women felt that inspiring spirit of love and encouragement.

Given all this, we decided to take a leap. We quit our jobs and, living off our savings, set out to formally build our fitness company. We were so nervous! Could we really make a go of this? Would we succeed? Everyone thought we were nuts, but that didnt stop us. We went for brokeliterally. What kept us motivated was having each other. Our deep friendship was cemented through all of the worry, late nights, long hours, challenges, and successes.

It was worth all the hard work. Today our videos have more than 35 million views. Hundreds of thousands of active Tone It Up members around the world are signed up for our newsletters, workout videos, and programs, and they link in with us through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our online community (ToneItUp.com). Weve had so much fun launching our Tone It Up health, beauty, and lifestyle gear, including our very own nutritional products company, Perfect Fit. But best of all, we wake up to thousands of women checking in with us about their workouts, posting recipes they love, and inspiring other Tone It Up members with their stories.

As you can see, its been quite a ride! But the fun doesnt end there. We are writing this book to inspire millions more of you to become your most fit, fierce, and fabulous selves. We want to show you that you can create a toned body you feel confident in every single day; you can pursue your goals without fear or doubt; and you can live the sensational life youve always imagined. After all, if we did it, you can too!