New Year, New You with the MAX

The Max Challenge. Image courtesy of The Max Challenge

By Brooke Harrington

There is a common theme during this time of year, every year, surrounding health and wellness. One minute we are on a calories don't count because it is the holidays bender right into the "New Year, New Me" resolution. What if there was a place you could develop a new lifestyle? A place where you can still enjoy life, while also being able to achieve your health and fitness goals? For me, that place was The Max Challenge!

Workout at The Max. Image courtesy of The Max Challenge

I started the Max during their annual New Year's 10-Week Challenge in January 2019. I had just returned from living abroad in Dublin where I was eating a few too many potatoes and drinking a few too many pints. I knew I needed to make a change, and I decided that this might be the place. At first, I was intimidated going to the Max, I just didn't know what to expect. But as soon as I walked in I knew that this was the place for me.
The Max Challenge has a weekly rotation of classes with two days focused on cardio HIIT training, two days focused on strength training for the upper and lower body, and then one day (my favorite) is cardio kickboxing. The trainers at the Max focus on building your strength and endurance over a period of time, gradually increasing the level of workout through the 10 week challenge. They also can accommodate personal restrictions too, letting anyone participate!

After my first 10-Week Challenge I had probably lost around 10 pounds, but I really started to see results after about 6 months, where I was down 25 pounds and had muscles I never thought I would! But the Max for me is not about what I lost, but what I gained. I gained a new lifestyle where health was put first, where working out became fun and not a chore, where my endorphins were on blast and I became an overall happier person, where stress was relieved during a workout, and where a strong community always had my back. The Max focuses on a balance of fitness, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle by promoting simple things like drinking water, daily exercise, food as fuel, and mental health.

You too can have the same experience I did, or maybe even a better one! The Max Challenge has two locations in our area. The Max Challenge of Montclair is located at 516 Valley Rd and The Max Challenge of West Orange is located at 446 Pleasant Valley Way. The West Orange location’s new challenge starts on January 10th. The owner, Rob (who is the best trainer too!) is willing to allow new members 2 weeks FREE if you start on December 27th. You can reach Rob at (732) 259-2586 to discuss the new challenge! If there is anything I learned from the Max, it’s that the only workout you will regret is the one you didn’t do!