If you have been keeping up with fitness trends on social media, chances are that you have seen the “12-3-30 workout.” Popularized by Lauren Giraldo’s social media influencer Lauren Giraldo in 2019, this cardio routine offers simple yet effective cardio training.
This workout can help you reach your health goals, including weight loss by creating negative calorie balance. Furthermore, it can build muscle and improve endurance by targeting slow-twitch muscles.
Burn Calories
12-3-30 stands apart from some viral fitness trends by being low impact and accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels (like the 75 Hard Challenge), according to personal trainer and wellness specialist Julie Floyd Jones. Additionally, this exercise regime helps people move consistently throughout their day, consistently burning calories.
TikTok influencer Lauren Giraldo first made this workout popular by posting it to her Instagram account in 2020 and claiming that it helped her shed 30 pounds. Since then, nearly 2 million likes and comments have been left by people searching for ways to start exercising or lose weight using it as their go-to routine.
Giraldo’s method is straightforward: Simply set your treadmill at 12 percent incline at 3 mph for 30 minutes to perform steady-state cardio training, elevating your heart rate for extended periods and helping elevate blood pressure levels. While walking at this incline doesn’t burn as many calories than, say, running, it does offer other unique health benefits like improving heart and cardiovascular health as well as increasing mood.
According to a study in Circulation Research, steady-state cardio exercises like 12-3-30 workout can lower your risk of cardiac events by lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels, improving body’s response to insulin and possibly helping prevent diabetes altogether.
Alternatively, if the gym isn’t your cup of tea and you don’t have access to a treadmill, walking outside will still reap similar rewards. “Walking outdoors offers fresh air, sunshine, and changing scenery which can boost motivation while decreasing boredom,” notes Brooks.
Make sure that you switch up your exercise routines regularly to avoid muscle fatigue and maximize results. While the 12-3-30 workout is an excellent way to start moving, try adding other forms of cardio and strength training into your program for maximum muscle development and increased endurance.
Make the most out of every workout session by warming up for five to ten minutes prior to hitting the treadmill and taking water breaks every 20-30 minutes. Don’t forget fuel up, too: according to the American College of Sports Medicine, exercising on an empty stomach can quickly dehydrate you and lead to nausea.
Build Muscle
As opposed to some viral fitness trends that may be difficult or damaging (i.e. 75 Hard Challenge), the 12-3-30 workout is easy and accessible for everyone – regardless of age or fitness level (provided they do not have heart or back conditions). Regular incline walking helps burn more calories than your base metabolic rate alone, helping maintain healthy weight as well as decrease risks related to obesity and chronic diseases.
The 30-Minute Treadmill Workout — named for the three steps required on a treadmill: increase incline to 12%, set speed to 3 miles per hour and walk for 30 minutes — was originally devised by Lauren Giraldo of social media fame back in 2019, though it became widely popular after it went viral as a TikTok challenge with millions of views and subsequent shares from celebrities and their fans alike. Now more people than ever before are participating logging miles themselves at home or gym.
Although this workout doesn’t provide an intensive fitness experience, it does provide some real advantages for those struggling to find time or motivation to exercise regularly. It has the potential to strengthen and build endurance while engaging different muscle groups; plus it can help burn more calories which could aid weight loss by maintaining a balanced diet alongside it.
Brooks emphasizes that this workout shouldn’t serve as your sole form of physical activity. Instead, he advised pairing it with other forms of exercise to build muscle and increase overall strength as well as create a broader cardiovascular demand. Some other workouts that can create similar metabolic demands include biking at moderate speed, playing tennis or swimming or simply walking outdoors.
As a starting point, for those who are new to working out, ACSM recommends starting off slowly by gradually building up to 30 minutes using 12-3-30. Furthermore, eating something before beginning your workout is recommended as exercising on an empty stomach can cause nausea.
Improve Endurance
Walking can be beneficial to heart health in general, but the 12-3-30 workout takes it one step further by increasing heart rate through faster pace and steeper inclines. As a result, more calories are burned than with traditional park walks while strengthening leg and hip muscles for increased endurance – helping you work out longer without fatigue limiting results as easily,” states Sung.
Fitness influencer Lauren Giraldo created this workout and it has since been shared over 2.8 million times on TikTok. People all around the world have shared their success stories of weight loss using this simple exercise on social media, especially on TikTok. If this workout is new to you, however, be careful not to jump straight in as doing so could strain joints and muscles; warming up with five minutes of slow walking without an incline before beginning will ease you into exercise more safely.
Whoever plans on using workouts as part of their weight-loss efforts should keep in mind that experts recommend mixing it up with strength training and flexibility training in order to prevent overuse injuries, while exercising all relevant muscle groups.
Sung recommends adding this workout to your weekly schedule, with two to three sessions each week as the ideal goal. She suggests including it into cardio sessions as a means of adding variety. She notes that by diversifying workouts you are able to utilize different energy systems and muscle fibers thereby optimizing overall training experiences.
As for claims that this workout burns hundreds of calories in 30 minutes, Gott acknowledges this is accurate; however, he notes that exact results depend on bodyweight and metabolism. Furthermore, not only will you burn calories with this routine but it can also strengthen immunity systems and increase sleep quality.
Reduce Stress
Many fitness trends fade quickly, yet some – like Lauren Giraldo’s 12-3-30 workout – remain. This low-impact treadmill routine created by lifestyle influencer Lauren Giraldo and used by her to shed 30 pounds while overcoming gym intimidation has proven its efficacy. To do it yourself, set your treadmill’s incline level to 12 and walk at three miles per hour for 30 minutes at an incline level of 12.
Experts contend this workout combines two components of physical fitness, such as muscle toning from walking up an incline and cardio improvement through walking. Furthermore, this helps meet weekly exercise quotas while improving overall health and wellness.
However, experts advise starting slowly when beginning any workout to avoid injury and burnout. If your muscles, joints and nervous system are unaccustomed to such intense exercise sessions, it could potentially strain or overwhelm them and increase your risk of injury or exhaustion.
To prevent this, experts advise starting your warm-up walk on a flat surface for five to 10 minutes, before gradually increasing incline, speed, and time on the treadmill. Remember to maintain proper posture while walking on the treadmill by keeping shoulders back and stabilizing core for lower back problems or other injuries.
Experts advise when embarking on your workout to avoid holding on to the bar for support as this will weaken your core and decrease its effectiveness. In addition, experts suggest drinking water and eating an apple or banana before beginning, both to prevent nausea and provide energy boost for an efficient session.
If you’re incorporating 12-3-30 into your regular fitness regimen, experts suggest pairing it with other forms of training to reduce overuse injuries and maximize results. Meier notes that doing 12-3-30 in conjunction with other forms of strength and flexibility training “can reduce overuse injuries while optimizing results.”
With some minor adjustments, the 12-3-30 workout can be safe for almost anyone to undertake on a regular basis. If this type of training is new to you, check with your physician first so as to ensure it suits your specific needs and goals.
