On Wednesday, April 1st, THE MAX Challenge held the first in what will be a series of weekly live cooking demonstrations for members. The event was hosted by Denise Medford, Owner of THE MAX Challenge of Brick, NJ, and her son Dave Herrera, a chef at El Toro Loco in South Plainfield, NJ. They walked viewers through their recipes for Chicken Tinga, Clean Refried Beans, and Guacamole, and even gave some tips and tricks for picking out the perfect avocados.

Future cooking demonstrations will feature owners from Texas to New York and will also be live streamed via the fitness franchise’s National Facebook Secret Group, which has nearly 30,000 members.

“Cooking shows are all the rage, from “Chopped,” to “Master Chef,” and beyond,” said Hayley Guerra, Director of Marketing and Development. “Not only are our live cooking demonstrations socially engaging and interactive, offering the opportunity for live Q&A, they also double down on our commitment to helping people to improve their eating habits.”

The three components of THE MAX Challenge’s program are fitness, nutrition and motivation. In the wake of the COVID-19 Crisis, with many people limiting their time at the grocery store or avoiding going there altogether, THE MAX Challenge believes it’s important to provide its members with the resources they need to succeed in achieving their health and fitness goals from the safety of their homes.

“These cooking-show-style demos will teach members how to make healthy meals, while also teaching creativity in terms of repurposing recipes or the ingredients therein; an important aspect in times such as these where conservation is key,” Guerra said.

THE MAX Challenge launched its first Virtual 10-Week Challenge at nearly all locations on Monday, March 30th. Aside from these new live cooking demonstrations, the program also includes live and on-demand virtual fitness classes, online nutrition counseling, weekly motivational webinars, and virtual group walks.