Core (LP): Where Fitness Finds Its Rhythm
When Judy Pagryzinski launched Core (LP) at the end of 2020, it didn’t look like the polished studio you’d see on Instagram. It looked like one machine in her home, masks on, windows cracked, and a whole lot of determination.
Judy had spent years building a reputation as a fitness instructor in metro Detroit while also working full-time as a music teacher. But as word spread about her training style — and as one-on-one clients kept coming — her “side hustle” started to demand more time than her schedule could hold.
“I got to a point after my first year where I had more clients than I had time for,” she says. So she did what many entrepreneurs hesitate to do: she bet on herself.
She left her teaching job, went all-in, and built her business one session at a time — sometimes teaching close to 40 sessions a week. “It was insane,” she laughs. “Normally, 20 sessions would put you at full-time and be pretty exhausting. But the demand was so high.”
That demand eventually made her next step clear: it was time to bring Core (LP) into a brick-and-mortar space.
A Different Kind of Workout — and a Different Kind of Brand
Today, Core (LP) offers what Judy calls pilates-inspired strength training — a high-energy, form-focused workout using a modern reformer that blends core strength and stability with endurance and cardio. Sessions are fast-paced, coach-led, and designed to challenge clients while meeting them where they are.
“We treat anyone under 10 classes as a beginner,” Judy explains. “There’s a learning curve with the language and flow, so we focus heavily on hands-on corrections and charting the client journey.”
Clients range from Gen Z through those in their early 60s, with many drawn to the intensity and athletic edge. But Judy is careful about one thing: she doesn’t want people to assume they need to be “fit enough” to start.
“I like the word appetite more than ability,” she says. “Fitness should be attainable for anyone who’s willing to put in the work.”
Core (LP) also stands out because it doesn’t feel like a quiet, minimalist fitness studio. Judy’s roots in music education show up everywhere — starting with the name.
“Core (LP)… like a vinyl record,” she says. “Fitness is a long play.”
Her tagline is “Music, Movement and Results,” and the studio’s class names are built around music terms — The Drop, The Tempo, The Sound Check. And yes, the playlists match the vibe. “You’ll find us blaring Drake and Kendrick Lamar,” she says. “Sabrina Carpenter, too.”
It’s intentional. “We weren’t meant to move without rhythm,” Judy says. “Music and movement are integrated.”
The Leap From Home Studio to Brick and Mortar
In February 2023, Core (LP) officially opened its first studio in Berkley. The transition from home-based training to a full studio came with a whole new set of responsibilities — rent, staffing, operations, buildout decisions, and the reality of what it costs to open a physical space.
“Understanding construction was a really big doozy,” Judy says. “If I were to recommend anything to new entrepreneurs, it’s to always have a 10% buffer on top of anything you are quoted. Always.”
The other surprise? Realizing that having a strong reputation and great service isn’t enough on its own.
“I thought, ‘I have a name in the area. I have a good product. This is going to be enough,’” she admits. “It took a long time to get systems in place for us to grow and scale.”
Now, she tells new business owners to start documenting everything from day one — even while they’re hustling.
“Write down the process,” she says. “If your goal is to scale, or to have employees, or to one day sit back and let your business run without you, those systems need to be documented from day one.”
How MWF Helped
As Core (LP) grew, Judy connected with MWF for the capital and guidance that helped her move from vision to execution — especially during the leap into brick-and-mortar expansion.
MWF supported Judy as she built out Core (LP)’s next chapter, pairing funding with practical guidance along the way. “MWF has been so much more willing to work with us, to find resources, to aid,” she says. “I truly believe they are the best at what they do.”
That relationship also gave Judy something many entrepreneurs don’t realize they need until they’re deep in it: a trusted partner who can help them think beyond “getting the doors open” and toward long-term sustainability.
And Judy is candid about a lesson she learned the hard way: not all growth is good growth if the financing behind it isn’t right.
“Major loans can put a bottleneck on your growth potential,” she says. “Sometimes it’s not possible not to, but I would recommend being really mindful.”
A Business Built on People
Ask Judy what keeps her going, and she doesn’t start with numbers. She talks about clients.
One story that stays with her is a mom who came to Judy after five years of pain and limitation following pregnancy. She was dealing with diastasis recti (abdominal separation), struggling with low back pain, and unable to move the way she used to.
Within months of working together, the client closed the abdominal gap significantly — and, more importantly, got her strength and confidence back.
“That was my first really, really big win,” Judy says. “I have hundreds of stories like that. But that one reminded me: this is why I do what I do.”
What Comes Next
Core (LP) opened a second location in Rochester Hills in 2025 — intentionally far enough from Berkley to reach a new market without pulling from the original community.
“You don’t want to pull from your home market,” Judy says. “You want to be at least a five-mile radius away.”
Now, Core (LP) is welcoming new clients at both studios for group classes and private training —continuing to grow a brand built on rhythm, strength, and the belief that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be real.
And when entrepreneurship feels messy — as it inevitably does — Judy goes back to the advice her dad still gives her: “Enjoy the experience.”
Even when it’s hard, she says, “the moments you do have freedom will be the envy of all your friends.”
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