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Local gym changing the fitness game in Boston area

BELMONT, Mass. — On a quiet corner in Belmont, a local gym is changing the fitness game and slowly taking over Boston.

It’s owned by Ray Peleckas, a former drug addict and ex-con.

"I was in a fight my senior year in high school I punched someone in the lunchroom. That lead me going to jail for 30 days, house arrest for six months, probation for three years after that," Peleckas said.

Growing up in Foxborough, Peleckas says he was a “punk kid” with just one thing consistent in his life -- exercise.

After he finished jail time and probation he played football at Fitchburg State.

“I actually tore my ACL freshman year in college which lead me to an eight-year Percocet addiction,” said Peleckas.

That addiction, paired with chain smoking and a string of unfulfilling jobs brought Ray to a dark place.

“That was a long lonely miserable eight years that I spent in the darkness," he said.

Fast forward almost 10 years and thousands of clients later, BodyBurn was created.

"BodyBurn by Ray is a 48 minute fitness class that incorporates our trademark approach to group fitness which is low impact high intensity we use this approach pairing motorless cardio pieces with video guided strength training exercises," said Peleckas.

The video guided classes allow you to see each exercise, while the instructors devote one-on-one attention to people who need it.

As for the cardio: the machines don’t have motors. It allows people to set the intensity level without damaging joints or getting hurt.

"I just felt that group fitness needed something a little different," Peleckas said.

Clients can track their results using an egg-shaped machine called the Bod Pod. It’s so accurate, it’s used by the NFL and NHL for body analysis.

“I can really empathize with people who are struggling to lose weight because I struggled with addiction,” Peleckas said.

It’s that unique viewpoint that keeps his clients coming back for years.