Nov 19, 2015 3 min read HIIT BOX

Get Inside The HIIT Box With Fierce Trainer Maryam Zadeh

Maryam Zadeh, owner of HIIT BOX. (Photo by Donny Levit / Park Slope Stoop)

Trainer Maryam Zadeh was recalling times from exercise classes of yesteryear.

“I was leading a class back in the late ’80s,” says Zadeh. “We were working in a circle and there were ashtrays in the center. The women had to take smoke breaks in the hallway before they came back to finish the class.”

It’s hard to imagine how far things have come. And considering Zadeh’s focus on intensive, rigorous exercise, there’s not a second to take a puff. Not that she’d let it happen anyway.

HIIT Box Studio at 527 Carroll Street. (Photo by Park Slope Stoop)

Zadeh opened up her new studio HIIT Box (527 Carroll Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues) early last month, and she’s developed a group of dedicated followers pretty quickly. She has been teaching in the area in a variety of places, but now she has a studio to call her own.

HIIT is an acronym for high intensity interval training. The approach is a mixture of cardio, strength, and core conditioning done in short, intense periods of time. And the emphasis should be on the word “intense.”

A session of training lasts 30, 45, or 60 minutes, and incorporates cardio drills, plyometrics, sandbells, ViPRs, kettlebells, rowers, battle ropes, medicine balls, gliders, and more. The exercises are done in 20, 30, or 60 seconds with short breaks in between. Classes are small — approximately five people total for each session.

Zadeh also has classes that split HIIT training and running. Running coach Dana Fleury takes the class out for a run and then join the HIIT training section afterwards.

“You can do anything for 30 seconds,” say Zadeh. “You can wrestle a great white shark for 30 seconds.”

HIIT Box schedule — A schedule for HIIT Box. (Courtesy of Maryam Zadeh)

Zadeh is convincing. And she has a client base to prove it. Many are moms in Park Slope who are looking for an efficient exercise routine — something that isn’t terribly time-consuming, and will yield results.

Oh, and there are men, too. “Here’s what happens,” describes Zadeh. “The women get in great shape, and then the women come home and tell their husbands to get their butts over here.”

On her website, Zadeh explains that the “workouts are so effective you continue to burn calories for up to 36 hours after a class. No elliptical or treadmill can do that.”

The classroom is minimalist, open, and bright. There’s also a locker room/shower area downstairs that Zadeh is putting the finishing touches on.

But with the minimalist space comes style as well. Zadeh designed skateboard decks for many years, which adds great accents to the space. And she’s mounted marquee lights from an old vaudeville theater as well.

Winter HIIT Box workout (Courtesy of Maryam Zadeh)

“This is an opportunity to disconnect for a short period of time from other areas in your life,” explains Zadeh. It’s actually a class requirement. If you look at the HIIT Rules, you’ll see “No phoning. No texting. No whining.”

Maryam Zadeh, owner of HIIT Box. (Courtesy of Maryam Zadeh)

But as intense as she is, Zadeh also brings has a sense of humor.

“They call me the butt, abs, and thighs queen,” she says. “And that’s fine by me.”

The Studio Rundown: HIIT Box with Maryam Zadeh
Where: 527 Carroll Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues
When: Classes are held 8am-8pm, Mondays-Fridays; 8:30am-1:30pm on Saturdays. A schedule is available here.
Pricing: Varies. You can see all pricing information and pre-purchase sessions here. Single, and multiple “packs” are available.
Discount: Use the code “FALLFITNESS” for 10% when you purchase. You can also use the discount code if you pay at class.