Kayla Itsines

Itsines traces her interest in fitness to playing basketball and other sports.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/life-kayla-itsines-most-influential-fitness-star-on-earth-million-instagram-following-blogger-a7964136.html|title = A day in the life of 26-year-old fitness Instagram star Kayla Itsines|website = Independent.co.uk|date = 24 September 2017}} She recalls being initially intimidated and overwhelmed by the gym, until a personal trainer encouraged her to "just start somewhere".{{cite web |url=http://www.mamamia.com.au/kayla-itsines-beginning/ |title= Kayla Itsines has a message for anyone who's just starting up at the gym |last=Stewart |first=Brittany |date=10 August 2016 |website=Mamamia |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} Finding that she enjoyed how the workouts made her feel, she abandoned her original plans to become a beauty therapist{{cite web |url=http://www.metro.us/lifestyle/aussie-fitness-star-kayla-itsines-shares-her-top-bikini-body-diet-tips/zsJocn---cYplBbkjqJ5EI/ |title= Aussie fitness star Kayla Itsines shares her top bikini body diet tips |last=Noel |first=Elodie |date=8 May 2015 |website=Metro|publisher=Metro International |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} graduating from the Australian Institute of Fitness at the age of 18 as a Master Trainer.{{cite web |url=http://fitness.edu.au/top-16-influencers-of-fitness-and-nutrition/ |title= Top 16 Influencers of Fitness and Nutrition |website=Australian Institute of Fitness |date= 30 November 2015 |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}}

Itsines found work at a women's gym in Adelaide. Itsines came to believe that most women seek three specific outcomes from training: smaller inner thighs, flatter abdomens, and more toned arms,{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/sboyd/2015/03/31/reshaping-the-fitness-business-kayla-itsines-bikini-body-training-company/ |title= Reshaping the Fitness Business: Kayla Itsines' 'Bikini Body Training Company |last=Boyd |first=Sarah |date=31 March 2015 |website=Forbes |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} while also being concerned about becoming too bulky.{{cite web |url=https://www.theskinnyconfidential.com/2014/05/02/ahhh-meet-absolute-favorite-fitness-guru-kayla-itsines/ |title= AHHH! SO Excited! Meet My Absolute Favorite Fitness Guru: Kayla Itsines |last=Evarts |first=Lauryn |date=29 September 2015 |website=The Skinny Confidential |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}}

She also started training her sister's friends who wanted to improve their fitness so they could play Netball on their high school team,{{cite web |url=https://au.be.yahoo.com/lifestyle/a/32338585/kayla-itsines-i-still-pinch-myself-when-i-read-i-m-the-number-one-personal-trainer-in-the-world/ |title= Kayla Itsines: 'I still pinch myself when I read I'm the number one personal trainer in the world' |last=Compton |first=Maz |date=15 August 2015 |website=Be |publisher=Yahoo7 |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} focusing on building core strength and powerful legs. She lectured them on nutrition, and asked them to take before-and-after photos of themselves to track their progress. Itsines' 12-year-old cousin suggested using Instagram as a way of organising the photos. Within a few months, Itsines gained thousands of followers and was receiving regular requests for advice and help. Her ex-fiancé Tobi Pearce, suggested that she compile her routines into ebooks that could be sold online. In March 2013, they founded the Bikini Body Training company with Itsines as director and Pearce as CEO. The following January, they published the first two Bikini Body Guides, with Itsines' workouts in one volume, and nutrition information from dieticians Julie Dundon and Anne Schneyder of Nutrition Professionals Australia in another. Itsines would later offer the guides via an affiliate program as well. By October, the guides had been downloaded over one million times.{{cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/inspiration/kayla-itsines-the-23yearold-aussie-personal-trainer-changing-the-face-of-fitness/news-story/dca02e8e7bc719116a138dd62805407f |title= Kayla Itsines: The 23-year-old Aussie personal trainer changing the face of fitness |last=Midena |first=Kate |date=10 October 2014 |website=news.com.au |publisher=Newscorp |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}}

The BBG program is based on 28-minute high-intensity workouts to be completed three times per week. The workouts are built from a repertoire of 150 movements inspired by a variety of sports and other physical training. The meal plans originally provided as little as 1,200 calories per day, but were updated to provide 1,600 to 1,800. She describes the overall strategy as not being aimed at either weight loss or muscle gain, but rather, the creation of a particular look. The program is aimed primarily at women because Itsines feels she particularly understands women's health and fitness goals.

In 2015, she embarked on a world tour, the "Kayla Itsines Bootcamp World Tour", leading free group fitness classes. The tour included Australia's capital cities,{{cite web |url=http://coach.nine.com.au/2015/03/31/13/39/kayla-itsines |title= The faces of Australian fitness: Kayla Itsines |last=Amiel |first=Kristen |date=31 May 2015 |website=nine.com.au |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} New York City, Los Angeles, and London.

In February 2015,{{cite web |url=http://www.mamamia.com.au/bikini-girl-banana-girl-in-court/ |title= Two controversial Australian fitness bloggers are at war |date=24 March 2015 |website=Mamamia |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} Itsines took legal action against another Adelaide-based personal trainer, Leanne Ratcliffe, and Ratcliffe's partner Harley Johnstone over comments they had posted on their YouTube channels.{{cite web |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/kayla-itsines-the-46-million-queen-of-lean/news-story/d65df79226a1556273ff7d8d5bd55dcb |title= Kayla Itsines: SA's $46 million queen of lean |last=Bogie |first=Deborah |date=2 December 2016 |website=The Advertiser |publisher=Newscorp |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}}{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/who-is-kayla-itsines-and-why-is-she-at-war-with-someone-who-eats-lots-of-bananas-20150325-1m7b7u.html |title= Who is Kayla Itsines and why is she at war with someone who eats lots of bananas? |last=Ward |first=Mary |date=25 March 2015 |website=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} Ratcliffe, publishing under the pseudonym "Freelee the Banana Girl", had claimed that the BBG eating plan required users to starve themselves, and Johnstone, publishing as "Durianrider", claimed that Pearce used steroids. Itsines claimed the statements were defamatory. She obtained an injunction to prevent the further publication of the videos. When the complaint was heard in the Supreme Court of South Australia on 23 March, Judge Withers directed the case proceed to trial, but the matter was eventually settled out of court.

In April 2015, Apple featured Itsines in an advertisement for the Apple Watch, demonstrating the heart-rate monitor feature of the product.{{cite web |url=http://www.adnews.com.au/news/australian-fitspo-influencer-lands-apple-campaign |title= Australian fitspo influencer lands Apple campaign |last=Bennett |first=Lindsay |date=15 April 2016 |website=AdNews |publisher=Yaffa Media |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}}

In November 2016, Pan Macmillan published Itsines' first print book, The Bikini Body 28-Day Eating and Lifestyle Guide. In August 2017, she announced the upcoming publication of her second book, The Bikini Body Motivation & Habits Guide.{{cite web |url=https://www.womenshealth.com.au/kayla-itsines-launches-book-2|title= Kayla Itsines To Launch The Bikini Body Motivation and Habits Guide |last=Dalziel |first=Lottie |date=23 August 2017 |website=Women's Health |publisher=Pacific Magazines |access-date=2017-09-24 |quote=}}

Itsines credits her social media success to keeping the focus on her followers and their fitness journeys rather than on herself and her journey. Part of her social media strategy is to keep attention on the transformation of the body, and she therefore seldom posts photos of her face. She is also careful of how she is represented visually by other publications, turning down photo shoots that she finds inconsistent with her image. In a statement of her own values, she says she would never promote something in which she personally does not believe, pose provocatively or sexualise herself, or post advice that is relevant only to her own lifestyle. She is the only person who posts on her social media accounts.{{Cite web|date=6 August 2017|title='I run my own Insta account — I don't let anyone touch!'|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/kayla-itsines-in-complete-social-control-i-run-my-own-insta-account-i-dont-let-anyone-touch/news-story/7191c0863aeb5e90b4f0565858aa3b1a|access-date=2020-10-19|website=www.dailytelegraph.com.au|language=en}}

From 2018, her wealth was observed as $63 million.{{Cite web|last=Chrysopoulos|first=Philip|title=Greek-Australians Join Rich List {{!}} Greek Reporter Australia|date=18 January 2018|url=https://au.greekreporter.com/2018/01/18/greek-australians-join-rich-list/|access-date=2020-10-19|language=en-US}}

Itsines is the daughter of Anna and Jim Itsines, both teachers. She has one younger sister, Leah, who is a personal trainer and food stylist. Itsines' family heritage is Greek, and she identifies herself as Greek. She credits many of her food choices to her Greek upbringing.

Itsines met her ex-fiancé, Tobi Pearce, at a gym in 2012. In April 2018, they got engaged and she gave birth to their daughter in April 2019. Kayla and Tobi announced their split in August 2020.{{Cite web|date=21 August 2020|title=Kayla Itsines announces shock split from fiance Tobi Pearce|url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/kayla-itsines-announces-shock-split-from-fiance-tobi-pearce/news-story/d5f88a6fb9f7431c9c7c3893d71d4343|access-date=2020-10-19|website=NewsComAu|language=en}}

In July 2022, Itsines announced her engagement to her current partner Jae Woodroffe, whom she had been dating since 2021.{{Cite web |title=Fitness Influencer Kayla Itsines Is Engaged to Jae Woodroffe 6 Months After Revealing Romance |url=https://people.com/health/kayla-itsines-engaged-boyfriend-jae-woodroffe/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}} This was shortly followed by the announcement of her second pregnancy. She gave birth to their son in January 2023 and married Woodroffe in December 2023.{{Cite web |last=Wilkins |first=Bridie |date=2022-07-26 |title=Breaking news: Kayla Itsines announces second pregnancy with Women's Health |url=https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a40705062/kayla-itsines-pregnancy/ |access-date=2022-09-23 |website=Women's Health |language=en-GB}}

In October 2016, Itsines and her then partner, Tobi Pearce, were included in the BRW "Young Rich" list of the wealthiest Australians aged under 40 who had not inherited their money. Their net worth was reported at {{AUD}}46 million in 2016.{{cite web |url=http://www.afr.com/leadership/brw-lists/brw-young-rich-2016-20161026-gsb62m |title= BRW Young Rich 2016 |last=Stensholt |first=John |date=28 October 2016 |website=Financial Review |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=2017-01-02 |quote=}} Itsines and Pearce's net worth was estimated as {{AUD}}486 million on the Financial Review 2019 Rich List.{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-wealthiest-people-revealed-20190529-p51sj0|title=Australia's 200 richest people revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 May 2019|last=Bailey|first=Michael|accessdate=31 May 2019}} Itsines' net worth did not meet the {{AUD}}472 million cut-off for the Financial Review 2020 Rich List.{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7|url-access=subscription|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 October 2020|author1=Bailey, Michael|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne|accessdate=31 October 2020}}

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• [http://www.kaylaitsines.com Itsines' website]

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Category:Australian exercise instructors

Category:Australian exercise and fitness writers

Category:Australian health and wellness writers

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Category:Australian people of Greek descent

Category:Australian Internet celebrities

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Category:1991 births