Ideal Core Pilates Fitness Nutrition

04/13/2026

Ideal Core has a few rare openings!

For the past 10 years we’ve been quietly helping people in Lake Orion and Oxford move better, feel stronger, and build lasting confidence in their health.

We specialize in small group Pilates and Strength Training, keeping classes capped at just 6 people so you get personalized attention, proper form guidance, and the most out of every workout.

All classes are multi-level, making them a great fit for a wide range of ages and experience levels.

Current Availability:

Reformer Pilates
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• 6:00 AM – 1–2 spots
• 7:00 AM – 1–2 spots

Strength Training
Tuesday & Thursday
• 9:00 AM – 3–4 spots (new class!)
• 4:00 PM – 3 spots
Learn more at: www.idealcorepilates.com

Spots like this don’t open often—
Make your summer IDEAL and get started today!

Ideal core is Orion, Oakland and Oxfords only place for Pilates and Strength Training. We are a small group and private training studio that focuses on you!

04/07/2026

So excited to represent Peak Pilates as a new Master Instructor. Can’t wait to shape the future teachers with Joes work! If anyone is looking to get certified, we will be a new EDU Center for Peak!

03/25/2026

😴 Want better fat loss and overall health? Start here.

A study showed that not getting enough sleep can reduce fat loss by up to 55%… even when calories are the same. 🤯

Another found that simply averaging 7,000+ steps per day can significantly improve metabolism and hormone health.

Let that sink in for a second…

Before supplements.
Before advanced diets.
Before complicated programs.

👉 The basics matter more than you think.

For most people, this is where real progress happens:

😴 Get quality sleep (aim for 7+ hours)
🚶‍♂️ Move more throughout the day (7k+ steps is a great target)
🏋️‍♀️ Strength train consistently (2–3x per week)

That’s it. That’s the foundation.

Now, for those who have truly mastered the basics —
yes, there’s another level:

Things like carb cycling, phased dieting, performance-based nutrition, and advanced strength training can help…

But only after the foundation is solid.

If you’re just getting started (or getting back on track):
Don’t get distracted by all the noise online.

Start simple.
Stay consistent.
Build momentum.

Your time is now.
Start living your ideal. 💪

03/23/2026

Do you struggle with push ups?

Spring break is coming up and some people take this time to relax from all the hard work, others like to put some extra time in their fitness.

This week we want to highlight some ways to keep it fresh.

This Push-up variation video is a great one with lots of different options.

5 big tips to get your push ups:
1) Keep the shoulders plugged in. Don't let them raise up towards your ears, instead keep them pulled into the body and down towards your hips. You should feel this mainly in your chest, not your traps (up by your neck).

2) Keep your butt tight. Not doing so will result in your hips dropping early and a lot of tension sitting in your back.

3) Wrists and Elbows toward the sky. Make sure at the bottom your wrists and elbows create a straight line toward the sky. Hands Should be by the ni**le line and not up by the shoulders.

4) Stable body. If you can't keep your hips level and your chest and thighs moving at the same time (not rolling up off the ground or down to the ground) choose a less intense variation. Form scores way more points then style!

5) Progressive overload. Try to increase the challenge to your muscles over time. A few examples would be the different depth push ups in the video to get your first push up. For those who are advanced, you can add the different challenges and extra weight with the bands or a weight vest.

Here are a lot of push variations. It is a great exercise for developing the chest, shoulders, triceps and core.4 big tips:1) Keep the shoulders plugged in....

03/16/2026

When life seems a bit hectic- put more focus on the things you can control.

Then start stacking up the wins.

02/23/2026

Are you rooting for yourself as much as you root for your kids?

The best gift you can give to your children is you at your best.

Start living your ideal.

02/16/2026

Give your body the push it needs today. 💪

For decades, Kenyan runners dominated long-distance events.
To many, it was a mystery.

They didn’t always have cutting-edge facilities.
They didn’t rely on fancy technology or the newest supplements.

So how did they do it?

I once heard this old Kenyan runner philosophy:
'When I feel good, I run hard and fast. When I don’t feel good, I run shorter and slower.'

Simple. But powerful.

The magic isn’t in going all-out every day.
It’s in knowing when to push and when to pull back.

Long-term success doesn’t come from crushing yourself daily.
It comes from listening to your body, adjusting, and staying consistent.

That’s a big part of what we do at Ideal Core.

Every day we encourage you to reach your ideal —
whether that means lifting heavy and pushing hard…
or moving well, dialing it back, and prioritizing recovery.

Progress isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about showing up and giving what you’ve got that day.

Make today ideal. 👊

02/09/2026

Are you at 100%?

We were able to get out this weekend with a few friends—
all of us in a similar season of life: working, managing a home, and raising very busy families.

We all said the same thing…
how energizing it was just to get out.

When you’re constantly giving your time and energy to your job, your kids, your home, and everything else on your plate, your own mental and physical health can easily take a back seat.

As a coach, when I hear this, I ask one simple question:
“Are you at 100%?”

After a few seconds of thinking, the answer is almost always… no.

So many of us are running on low batteries just to keep life moving.
But when we stay in that drained state too long, it leads to stress, exhaustion, anxiety, and frustration.

And those feelings make it harder to show up as our best selves for the people who matter most.

So the next time you’re tempted to skip the workout, cancel the walk, or pass on something that helps you recharge…

Remember: the best gift you can give your family is your best self.

Make today ideal.

02/02/2026

You don't have to be perfect- you just have to be consistent.

Since I've been a trainer I've lived by the 80/20 rule for general health.

To be a healthy person, you need to be on plan for 80% of the time. The other 20% can be a bit more relaxed.

So what does that look like?

You get 73 days a year to hit 80%
Let's say there are 30 days of "celebration".
Holidays, birthdays, sporting events etc.
That's 8% of the year.

Anyone looking to improve their health can see amazing results with staying on track 80% of the time.

So I'm not saying feel free to be a never ending pit for food today....
but I am saying stay on track to your diet and fitness goals all the other days of the year and enjoy these days of celebration without feeling bad

You got 292 days to kick ass and take names.... enjoy the off days.

01/21/2026

Weight loss does require a calorie deficit.
Yes — it really is calories in vs. calories out.

But here’s the part most people miss:
What actually matters is whether you can stick with it.

The real complexity isn’t the math — it’s you.

Your metabolism
Your hormones
Your relationship with food
Your hunger cues
Your stress level
Your lifestyle
Your ability (or inability) to stay consistent

That’s why you can lose weight using almost any method:
✔️ a nutrition coach
✔️ an app
✔️ a meal plan
✔️ a diet book
✔️ doing it on your own

So if “everything works”…
why does it feel like nothing works?

Because the best plan isn’t the most perfect one —
it’s the one you can follow long enough to see results.

How to find what actually works for you:

• Choose an eating style that makes sense for your life
• Learn more about it (coach, book, credible podcasts/videos)
• Create a clear, simple plan
• Follow it and reassess every 1–3 weeks
• If you can’t stick to it, don’t quit — adjust

And if sorting through all of that feels overwhelming?
That’s literally what we are here for. 💪
(And if we are not the right fit, we will help you find someone who is.)

Drop a comment or send me a DM — let’s find your something that works.

Side note: We can absolutely debate “the best diet” for optimization and performance…
but that’s a post for another day. 😉

01/19/2026

In order to reach — and maintain — your goals, discipline matters.

Motivation is great… but it comes and goes.
Discipline is what shows up even when motivation doesn’t.

That’s why at Ideal Core, we don’t rely on “feeling motivated.”
We build structure.

✔️ Clients commit to specific days and times each week
✔️ Workouts become part of the routine, not a decision you have to make
✔️ Progress happens even on the days you’re tired, busy, or stressed

This is also a big reason our members stay with us long-term — because consistency beats intensity every time.

If you’re finding that motivation alone isn’t keeping you on track,
maybe it’s time to make your program a little more ideal. 💪✨

01/14/2026

Putting healthy meals on the table for our family is a top priority, no matter how busy we get.

This is one of our favorite winter meals!
Mega Healthy White chicken chili
(insert hormone, and bpa free when needed)

-3x chicken breast cooked and cubed
-1 yellow bell pepper fine chop
-1 carrot fine chop
-1 sm onion - fine chop
-1 jalapeño pepper - fine chop ( add seeds for extra heat
-Clove garlic minced
-1 can with juice northern beans
-1 can with juice pinto beans
-Chicken broth
-Paprika, Salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, basil

Cook in your crockpot on low for at least 6 hours.