In a candid revelation that has surprised her millions of followers, fitness mogul Kayla Itsines has confessed that some of the punishing workouts she designed for her own hugely successful Sweat app are even too difficult for her.
The Surprising Confession
The 34-year-old entrepreneur, who founded the Sweat fitness platform in 2015 with her ex-fiancé and current business partner Tobi Pearce, made the startling admission during a live fan Q&A on the Star Sessions podcast. When a fan asked if she still completes the exercise guides herself, Kayla smiled and replied, "Yes." However, she quickly revealed she may have underestimated the intensity of some of the more strenuous routines.
"Did you see me the other day? I did the leg challenge. I was like: 'It's easy,' because I put the challenge together," she explained. "I was like: 'Who is Kayla? I hate her,'" the fitness influencer jokingly added.
A Philosophy of Extreme Dedication
Despite occasionally finding her own creations challenging, Kayla emphasised that she has always trained with intense dedication. "I've trained like that since I was at school," she stated. She elaborated on the app's creation, explaining that when she and Pearce developed the guides, their philosophy was to "put everything into the guides" because that reflected how they trained their clients and how Kayla trained herself.
This commitment to high-intensity fitness has clearly paid off, building an empire that has secured her position as one of Australia's wealthiest young entrepreneurs.
A Fitness Empire Worth Millions
The timing of her confession comes fresh off the back of her feature on the Australian Financial Review Young Rich list, where her staggering net worth was publicly revealed. Kayla landed at number 40 on the prestigious list, with her fitness empire valued at an astonishing $176 million.
She kicked off the new financial year with a $5 million boost to her net worth, cementing her status as a dominant force in the industry. This places her leagues ahead of competitor Tammy Hembrow, founder of the Tammy Fit app, who came in at number 90 with a net worth of $58 million. Further behind is fitness influencer Steph Claire Smith, who took the 100th spot with $42 million.
Kayla's journey to immense wealth began over a decade ago with her Bikini Body Guide e-book. Her success was further amplified when she and Pearce sold the Sweat platform to US company iFIT for $400 million in 2021, capitalising on a boom in home exercise during the Covid pandemic.
However, iFIT struggled with the brand, posting an $80 million write-down after its first year. As $20-per-month subscriptions declined post-lockdowns, the company continued to lose millions until Kayla and Tobi regained control in November 2023. Kayla resumed her role as head trainer, while Tobi now focuses on the company's long-term growth.
Beyond Sweat, Kayla's income streams include a dog training app named Dogit and investments in commercial real estate, proving her business acumen extends far beyond the gym.
