What is the 12-3-30 Workout? Basics and Benefits

The viral 12-3-30 workout regimen takes just 30 minutes and a treadmill (Image via Pexels/Anastasia Shuraeva)
The viral 12-3-30 workout regimen takes just 30 minutes and a treadmill (Image via Pexels/Anastasia Shuraeva)

This simple code could be the key to unlocking a greater level of fitness: 12-3-30.

You've probably seen people gushing about the 12-3-30 workout on social media. This viral workout regimen takes just 30 minutes to do and requires a treadmill.

The 12-3-30 lays up the groundwork for a treadmill workout that's generating a lot of excitement on TikTok.

Lauren Giraldo, a social media sensation with a large following, is responsible for the 12-3-30 workout. In 2019, she posted the workout on YouTube for the first time. It became a TikTok fad a year later, soaring in popularity.


What is the 12-3-30 workout?

The 12-3-30 workout, as Giraldo explains in her TikTok review, is a lower body workout that comprises primarily of treadmill walking. If you haven't yet seen her viral video, here's how she breaks down the traditional technique in this walking workout:

  • When you first get on the treadmill, put it to a 12 percent (or point) inclination setting.
  • Increasing your walking pace to three miles per hour is a good idea.
  • Over the next 30 minutes, work up and sweat.

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Benefits of 12-3-30 workout

You might wonder if you should try the viral 12-3-30 workout or not. Worry not! Check out the list of benefits offered by this trend:

1) Builds stamina

It is unquestionably a beneficial workout for improving fitness. It's not all about running on the treadmill. Power walking on a level or even in the hills can give you a tremendous workout while also being gentle on your joints.

A 30-minute walk at a strong steady intensity with a high gradient, such as 12%, will certainly get your heart rate up, put your posture to the test, and work your abdominals with a good ab workout. You'll have to start engaging and drive with your glute muscles to keep your position on the treadmill belt.


2) Promotes healthy heart

Aerobic exercise, according to experts, can help keep your heart healthy. Not only does it reduces your heart rate and lowers the risk of heart disease, but it also improves the efficiency with which blood is circulated throughout the body.

The 12-3-30 workout is an excellent cardio workout that increases your heartbeat and breathing as you walk at a fast speed on the incline. However, due to its low intensity nature, it is kind on joints.


3) Helps in shredding extra pounds

The 12-3-30 workout can help you break up your regular walking routine and boost your metabolism more than if you were walking on a flat surface, which is ideal for people looking to lose weight.

However, keep in mind that for healthy and long-term outcomes, any weight-reduction programme should include both exercise and good eating. That should include some of the best and most nutrient-dense diets for weight loss.


4) Simple and easy to get started

The 12-3-30 workout is also simple enough that you're less likely to become irritated and quit ans will be encouraged to do more difficult exercises.

You're more likely to stay persistent and do something if it's straightforward to accomplish. When it comes to starting a new workout, consistency is key: The longer you can remain consistent with it, the greater benefits you'll reap.


Is 12-3-30 workout good for everyone?

Walking is emphasised in the 12-3-30 workout, and walking is an excellent low-impact exercise, in general.

Walking at a brisk speed on a regular basis has numerous health benefits. It improves bones and muscles, strength and balance, and prevents or controls illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

For most people, though, walking quickly at a steep incline, as the 12-3-30 workout requires, will feel more like a vigorous activity. To run at that speed and with that incline for 30 minutes, you need to be in pretty good form.

Walking up that sharp a slope puts a lot of strain on your lower back.

The workout also puts a lot of tension on your hamstrings and calves, so if you don't warm up correctly before starting, you risk injuring those muscles. People who have issues with their knees would most certainly struggle to do this exercise.

It could aggravate underlying difficulties in your knees or ankles, or increase your chances of hurting those joints if you don't have powerful enough muscles in your pelvis, thighs and core.


Key Takeaway

Due to the low-impact nature of the programme, it is suitable for most people. If you have lower back pain, though, proceed with caution when doing this workout.

This workout may not be the ideal option, as high inclination might put excessive pressure on the back.

That's particularly if the abdominal muscles are not adequately supporting the body, according to experts. On days when you just want to get a quick sweat, try the 12-3-30 workout as a supplement.