AMHERST — Laid up by a back injury three years ago, despite being an active swimmer and skier, R.J. Lyons’ physical therapist suggested he go to Peddar Fitness to regain movement.
“I have gotten to be much stronger, especially my upper body,” said Lyons, a Pelham resident lifting weights at the 375 College St. studio on a recent afternoon.
For Jeff Catlin of Amherst, signing up for classes with Peddar Fitness owner Jeff Peddar was a call he made on his own.
“I was flabby and out of shape, and as you get older that doesn’t work as well,” Catlin said.
Nearby, Jane Degenhardt uses free weights after running on a treadmill.
“I wanted to stay as fit as possible, and this keeps me healthy and is helping with my work-life balance,” Degenhardt said. “One of my goals it to get stronger and make my body look as good as I can.”
The trio is among those benefiting from a regimen of exercise and personalized nutrition advice from Peddar, a retired Marine who had two tours of duty in Iraq.
“I want to be a one-stop shop to tell people how their bodies work,” Peddar said.
Though the 1,200-square-foot storefront for Peddar Fitness opened in 2011, a recent expansion doubled the space and is giving Peddar an opportunity to reach more of the local population where he teaches individuals how to get and stay fit by using a variety of cardio and strength equipment, and also shows them how their diets affect their fitness routines.
Peddar has trained both elite forces with the military and professional athletes, but the new space is allowing him to add three new trainers to work with clients.
Many of his personalized 50-minute combination classes feature full-body workouts stressing balance, stability and core. Most of these workouts are high intensity, interval training, with the theory that anyone can push hard for 20 minutes, such as the cardio callisthenic that features continuous movement and builds up muscle endurance.
The state-of-the-art equipment includes individual and group stations, including various weightlifting equipment for full-body workouts, and a variety of free weights.
“Its never boring, we’re always doing different things that allows me to feel my humanity,” Degenhardt said.
But it’s rigorous. “What you’re paying for is to be abused,” Catlin joked.
Lyons sympathizes. “Misery loves company,” he said.
Peddar said he brings extensive fitness experience from both before and after his time in the military. He joined the Marines after graduating Newton South High School in 2003.
By 2004, as he enrolled at the University of Massachusetts, he was called to serve as a lance corporal and heavy equipment operator as part of Iraqi Freedom 2, stationed at an air base 100 miles west of Baghdad. Five years later, Peddar trained two Marine support squadrons as a platoon sergeant after being called to active duty a second time.
Upon returning stateside, Peddar immediately returned to the gym.
“Honestly, when I got back I was pretty depressed,” Peddar said. “The amount of stress and what you go through is pretty high.”
He started teaching classes one-on-one for 40 hours a week at Gold’s Gym on University Drive while at UMass, helping to pay his college loans, and then briefly had classes at Planet Fitness in Hadley.
Peddar spent around $100,000 to build out and purchase equipment for the first part of his studio in 2011, and spent a little less in outfitting the newest space.
Peddar Fitness offers six different class concepts, both group classes for as little as $16 per class, and more personalized classes that range from $50 to $65 per class.
People are welcome to do trial sessions by consulting with trainers, and Peddar will set them up with who’s best for them, then go through a person’s own history with exercise and learn what they can and can’t do, and what their diet is.
“My goal of this is to help people, even if they can’t afford it,” Peddar said. “What gives me purpose is helping people.”
This includes people who think they can’t get in shape. The key is following through, Peddar said, as not just one thing works, and there is no quick fix to build a more efficient body.
“Having self discipline and exercise on a daily basis is difficult,” Peddar said. “The more you put into your body, the more you’re going to get back.”
Peddar is now making new efforts with his business, including working with a graphic designer to create a logo, creating a Peddar Fitness app in which people can sign up for classes and marketing ABSolution, a portable exercise device focused on the core that he has patented.
With the expansion, the one constant remains Bandit, his German shepherd and a familiar site for his clients.
Whatever experience people have with the various equipment as they get trained, it won’t be unfamiliar to Peddar.
“What makes me a successful trainer is I know what everything feels like,” Peddar said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
