"I do a 12-3-30 workout every week and that's all I've learned" (2023)

FAQs

Is the 12-3-30 workout enough? ›

Scientific research from 2020 shows that exercising around 300 minutes a week can lead to weight loss and a reduction in body fat.4 The 12-3-30 workout, unfortunately, doesn't quite meet that standard—even if you do it every day (which the experts don't recommend; more on that in a minute).

Many fitness fans are going all-in on 12-3-30—with some even doing it every day. Floyd-Jones warns against this and recommends sticking to the 12-3-30 workout two or three days a week max.

After 30 days, I noticed a big difference in my body and overall wellness. My legs felt and looked stronger and I shrunk a size in jeans.

Due to her influence, many have started taking her lead and the results were quite surprising. Those who have tried it out claim to have lost around 20 pounds in a month and are now calling it the 12-3-30 lifestyle. So, what is this workout all about and does it really work? What is the 12-3-30 workout?

The takeaway. The 12-3-30 treadmill workout is an effective way to increase aerobic fitness, burn calories, boost your mood, and improve your heart health while engaging muscles in your lower body. Combined with a healthy diet and calorie deficit, it can also promote healthy weight loss.

It helps improve cardiovascular fitness. It burns fat. It strengthens bones. It improves balance.

Using the incline on the treadmill effectively burns belly fat, even if it's a 30-minute walking workout at a moderate pace.

Weight loss and health benefits

Bassett estimated a person who weighed 150 pounds would burn 283 calories per “12, 3, 30” workout. In comparison, walking at that speed for 30 minutes without the incline would burn 113 calories, he said.

Walking on an incline causes your body to use more energy, which leads to more fat being burned. Additionally, walking on an incline is easier on your joints than running, making it a safer and more effective way to burn fat.

Incline treadmill walking is a great way to shed body fat when paired with the right weight loss supplement and diet plan. It's an aerobic exercise that will also get your heart rate up and improve blood flow throughout the body.

What is the best incline for weight loss? ›

The steep, 12 percent incline forces your body to work harder than walking on a flat surface, which will burn more calories, she says.

If you want to tone your legs and build more strength in the lower body, the 12-3-30 workout can help. “Incline walking is great for your leg muscles, helping to develop muscular endurance and strength, particularly in your glutes, hamstrings and calves,” explains Folusha.

When it comes to the muscle-strengthening benefits of incline walking vs running, in most cases, as long as the incline is at least moderate, incline walking trumps running. Incline walking is essentially a form of resistance training because walking up an incline requires contending against the force of gravity.

Everyone's body is different, so the number of calories you burn during the 12-3-30 workout will vary from my experience. However, when I did the 12-3-30 workout, the treadmill readout said I burned about 195 calories.

Walking outside is a great way to burn calories efficiently, as outdoor walking involves the use of more muscle groups than stationary walking. In addition, it takes much more effort to propel your body forward using your own weight and strength, whereas treadmills help you to move forward with little effort.

One study found that compared to walking on a flat surface, participants burned 17 percent more calories at a 5 percent incline and 32 percent more calories at a 10 percent incline. If walking on the treadmill is already part of your fitness routine, increasing the incline is an easy way to maximize your next workout.

Incline walking is a versatile aerobic exercise that delivers both strength and endurance benefits with a lower impact on your joints as running or jogging.

Is Incline walking better than flat walking? ›

Increases activation of lower leg muscles

Research shows that walking on a medial incline ramp activates the peroneal muscles significantly more than walking on a normal or flat surface. These findings support the use of incline walking to strengthen the peroneals and help people with weak ankles ( 5 ).

For starters, the 12/3/30 method is a total lower-body workout, says Haley Gott, a certified personal trainer. "It's a great way to activate multiple muscle groups in your legs," she adds, including your quads, your hamstrings, your glutes, and your calves.

According to Healthline, running burns the most calories. A tried and true exercise that requires little more than your legs and the open road, running burns just over 800 calories for a 155-pound adult per hour.

What's the best incline to run on a treadmill? Depending on your physical and cardiovascular health, experts usually say around 1-2% incline is best. If you're looking for more of a challenge or an advanced runner, you can move it up to 5-6% and beyond. Running on a treadmill incline has many benefits.

Since the majority of people run differently, depending on whether they're on flat ground or uphill, referring to your treadmill for amount of calories burned isn't a helpful measurement. Instead, focus on running at a controlled, strong pace uphill to maximize your workout and activate the largest muscles.

Generally, 4 to 6 mph is the average jogging speed. You can increase the speed or add more minutes to make this workout harder. For an easier version, increase the incline by 0.5 percent each minute. Repeat until you've reached a 4 to 5 percent incline, then work in reverse.

Invest the Time. To maintain your weight, you'll need to walk on a treadmill at a moderate pace of 3.5 miles per hour for no less than 150 minutes per week. Or you can walk at vigorous pace of 4.5 miles per hour for 75 minutes per week. To lose weight, you'll need to walk for a longer amount of time at either pace.

What Experts Think of the '12-3-30' TikTok Treadmill Workout. The viral “12-3-30” workout involves setting a treadmill to 12 percent incline at 3 miles per hour and walking on it for 30 minutes. Experts say that the workout provides good exercise, but it doesn't offer unique benefits versus other cardio routines.

Breaking the time into chunks of walking intervals is a simple way to make it easier — or harder. For those who need to modify the workout, do one minute at level 12 at 3 miles per hour, and then do two or three minutes at level 5 at 2.5 miles per hour. Then, alternate between these two levels until you hit 30 minutes.

Is Incline walking better than squats? ›

Incline Walking vs. Squats: Which Is Better For Glutes? Squats take the cake (no pun intended) over incline walking for building a bigger butt. Squatting places the glutes through a large stretch under heavy loads, increasing muscular tension.

For every 1% of uphill grade, a 150-pound person burns about 10 more calories per mile (an increase of about 12%). That means that at a 10% grade, that 150-pound person burns more than twice as many calories per mile as they would walking on flat ground.

Walking may burn more fat for fuel, but running burns more total calories, which will contribute to greater weight loss in total.

A 10 percent max incline is good and available on most low-budget treadmills. Fifteen percent is even better. But why not consider going all out with a 40 percent max incline? More incline means more calories burned.

Depending on the brand and model, they range from 1-40% percent incline. Although the ideal incline for most people is between 1-7%, stepping out of your comfort zone for a 20%+ incline workout is a good idea from time to time.

Bhusri suggests walking at 3 mph at an incline between 16 and 18 percent. In general, "the greater the incline and the longer the period of time spent exercising on that incline, the faster you'll see results."

So, depending on your fitness level (and whether this workout is moderate or high intensity for you), doing the 12-3-30 treadmill routine about 3 to 5 times per week meets those benchmarks, Metzl says.

“You will in fact burn more energy during an intense cognitive task than you would vegging out watching Oprah or whatever,” he says. But in the context of the average person's overall energy expenditure, the difference in calorie burn from one mental task to another is a tiny amount, he adds.

You can see small results in even two to four weeks, after you begin a leg workout. You will have better stamina, and your legs will look a little more defined. But all in all, depending on your fitness levels, it does take three to four months for any remarkable difference.

Will walking everyday tone my thighs? ›

Walking is particularly effective for toning your legs and bum, she adds. “The muscles you use when walking include your calf muscles, thighs and buttocks, so these areas will become more toned and shapely.” However, walking may not tone all areas of the body.

The National Institute of Health recommends setting realistic weight goals and that is to say that losing 50pounds in 3 months is neither a realistic nor an achievable weight goal. The National Institute of Health recommends trying to lose about 5% to 10% of your total body weight in a period of six months (6).

Water can be really helpful for weight loss. It is 100% calorie-free, helps you burn more calories and may even suppress your appetite if consumed before meals. The benefits are even greater when you replace sugary beverages with water. It is a very easy way to cut back on sugar and calories.

Setting a realistic time frame

Generally, most health experts recommend aiming for about 1–3 pounds (0.5–1.4 kg) of weight loss per week, or approximately 1% of your total body weight ( 33 , 34 ). Therefore, it may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to lose 30 pounds safely.

Weight loss and health benefits

Bassett estimated a person who weighed 150 pounds would burn 283 calories per “12, 3, 30” workout. In comparison, walking at that speed for 30 minutes without the incline would burn 113 calories, he said.

Due to the higher level of posterior chain muscle engagement, high calorie burn, and high heart rate of incline walking workouts, they're some of the most effective ways to lose weight and increase your fitness level quickly.

So, depending on your fitness level (and whether this workout is moderate or high intensity for you), doing the 12-3-30 treadmill routine about 3 to 5 times per week meets those benchmarks, Metzl says.

If you want to tone your legs and build more strength in the lower body, the 12-3-30 workout can help. “Incline walking is great for your leg muscles, helping to develop muscular endurance and strength, particularly in your glutes, hamstrings and calves,” explains Folusha.

Tones Muscles

The 12-3-30 workout focuses on these slow-twitch muscle fibers, which can be activated through sustained aerobic exercise. Adding an incline to a workout may help reap some muscle-building benefits, especially for those people who are new to exercises that challenge their muscles to work hard, says Simon.

What incline and speed is best for weight loss? ›

Adding hills or inclines to a walking workout can increase your heart rate, calorie burning, and activation of the hamstrings, glutes, and calf muscles. Exercising on an incline also allows you to train for a realistic terrain.

For a well-rounded fitness routine, Robinson recommends pairing the 12-3-30 workout with other exercises, such as strength training, yoga or Pilates. Almost anything is welcome so long as you're mixing it up. “Your body will plateau if you're only doing the same thing for weeks or months at a time,” she says.

Try to avoid holding onto the treadmill while walking, as it reduces the benefits of the workout. “If you feel like you need to hang on, you probably should consider changing the incline or speed,” notes Lawton. Use good form, with a bit of a lean to your body as you stride. “You want a really good arm swing, too.

Holding on to the treadmill cheats the lower back out of doing work, weakening the all-important core muscles. Tall people who hold on are even more at risk for leaning forward, and exercising with a slumped posture. View a tall person from the side who's clinging to the machine and note their poor posture.