CIRC-HIIT, founded by Giuseppe Caggiano and Zak Rossides, opened its doors in June 2025 at Unit 4, Verulam Industrial Estate on London Road.
Inside the space is the gym’s main training room known as “The Arena” where the group’s signature sessions take place.
The pair’s workouts are built around coach-led High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), blending strength, conditioning and functional fitness through structured group workouts designed to challenge participants both physically and mentally.
Zak and Giuseppe can now rely on regulars to make their sessions tick, but they did not always have this luxury. The journey to that point was built through persistence, disrupted venues and, ultimately, a strong community effort that helped bring the space to life.
The creation of CIRC-HIIT
Giuseppe and Zak first met after lockdown while training at a gym in London Colney.
At the time, Giuseppe was working as a London black cab driver while also instructing a weekly circuit training class, with Zak working as a personal trainer at the same gym.
Zak recounted how their partnership developed naturally through conversations about training and coaching, he began: “We were both spending a lot of time in the gym and started talking about how sessions could be structured differently.
“We shared similar ideas about creating something that pushed people physically but also built a strong sense of community.”
Zak and Giuseppe launched their permanent space almost a year ago. (Image: Giuseppe Caggiano)
Giuseppe added: “Zak had heard that I’d previously appeared on SAS: Who Dares Wins and we started chatting in the gym.”
“Over time we realised we had a similar outlook on training and mindset.”
In October 2022, the pair decided to test the concept with a 10-week trial run of their own HIIT sessions.
A small group of gym regulars came along to try it out and the response was encouraging enough for them to continue.
By January 2023, they had secured a venue to run a weekly Monday evening session. The early stages were modest, with attendance sometimes extremely small.
“Some weeks only one person would turn up to train,” Giuseppe said. “But we persevered because we believed in what we were building.”
Zak said those early sessions helped shape the culture that would later define CIRC-HIIT.
“When you start that small you really get to know the people who are turning up,” he explained. “It creates a sense that everyone is building something together.”
Over time the classes gained momentum and a loyal base of frequent members began to form.
The team at CIRC-HIIT alongside some regulars. (Image: CIRC-HIIT)
Setback and comeback
By early 2024, the founders had established two classes a week with the sessions being held at the former YMCA community gym in Highfield Park, St Albans. However, when the facility closed later that year, the search for another venue began again.
Giuseppe said finding suitable space proved difficult, particularly because the sessions relied on prime evening time slots.
“Evening sessions around 6.30pm are always in demand,” he said. “It wasn’t easy finding somewhere that could accommodate what we needed.”
By that stage the community had grown to around 30–40 regular members, and the founders were determined to keep the sessions going.
“We felt a responsibility to continue,” Giuseppe said. “People had built a routine around the classes and we didn’t want that to disappear.”
Finding a permanent home
Having found an interim venue, the obstacles of not having a dedicated space continued, and in spring 2025 the pair eventually found an unused industrial warehouse in St Albans that would become their permanent home.
The pair described the move as a “significant risk”.
“We didn’t have a big budget,” Zak said. “But we knew that if we wanted consistency and somewhere to grow, having our own space was the only real option.”
The project relied heavily on second-hand equipment, donated resources and the support of members.
Fortunately, the response from the community was overwhelming.
What you see as you enter CIRC-HIIT (Image: CIRC-HIIT)
Giuseppe said: “Members gave up their spare time and resources to help get the place ready, donating equipment, moving flooring and kit into the building, and even helping paint The Arena.”
Zak added that seeing members help build the gym created a strong sense of collaboration.
“It genuinely felt like everyone had a part to play in bringing the space together,” he said.
CIRC-HIIT officially opened its doors in June 2025, and today the gym runs 10 plus sessions per week with more than 50 active members.
Zak, a former national-level gymnast, said his sporting background has influenced the style of training delivered in the sessions.
“A lot of what we do comes from performance-based training,” Zak said. “It’s about helping people build strength, conditioning and athletic movement in a structured way that’s accessible to all abilities.”
Giuseppe likes to engage with the mindset side of training, saying it is a key factor in meeting clients’ goals.
“My experience on SAS: Who Dares Wins taught me a lot about resilience and mental strength,”the former TV star said.
“For me, fitness isn’t just about physical results, it’s about building confidence, discipline and the mindset to push yourself further, lessons that can be taken outside of the gym.”
(Image: CIRC-HIIT)
“The coaches have helped me to push myself”
Member stories have become a key part of the CIRC-HIIT community.
John, a regular from Shenley, said joining the sessions had improved both his fitness and mental wellbeing.
“Since joining CIRC-HIIT I’ve genuinely seen a huge improvement in both my fitness and my mental health,” he said. “The structure of the sessions and the encouragement from the coaches has helped me push myself in ways I probably wouldn’t have done on my own.”
He complimented the supportive environment which encouraged him to take on challenges he never expected.
John said: “Through attending the sessions I was even encouraged to enter a HYROX competition, which is something I never would have imagined doing before.”
Georgia, who travels from Colney Heath, said joining the gym helped her build confidence despite never having trained before.
“CIRC-HIIT has honestly been one of the most life-changing things I’ve done in a long time,” she commented.
“As someone who had never stepped foot in a gym before, it has completely transformed my strength, confidence and belief in what I’m capable of.”
A workout in progress in The Arena (Image: CIRC-HIIT)
Alongside running their own classes, the founders say the facility was also designed to give other local fitness and wellbeing professionals the opportunity to hire the space and run their own sessions.
Giuseppe highlighted their goal – to create something local and independent that could contribute to the wider network of small businesses and community-led initiatives across St Albans.
Looking back on the journey, the pair are pleased the community that helped build the gym remains central to its identity.