New ways to burn fat and get fit seem to come round every year, and the latest “trend” is really no different from any of the others. The 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout has been talked about on social, with TikTokers and Instagrammers sharing their amazing results the world over. So, what is it, and does it work?
There are actually two flavors of 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout circulating the Internet. Both are actually effective, and it is always a good idea to mix things up, so we’d recommend giving them both a go and seeing how you feel with them.
The Steady Cardio & HIIT 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout
This 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout is broken down into three parts:
12 minutes of warm-up: This is a light cardio session to get your heart rate up and prepare your body for the workout.
3 minutes of high-intensity interval training (HIIT): This is a short, intense burst of exercise that is designed to raise your heart rate and burn calories. This section typically includes 30 seconds of sprinting, followed by 30 seconds of walking or jogging, and then repeating this pattern for 3 minutes.
30 minutes of steady-state cardio: This is a longer, steady-paced cardio session that is designed to burn calories and promote weight loss.
This is pretty standard for anybody that uses a treadmill for general fitness and weight management, and most people probably do it without thinking. You start slow, then do some sprints, then go steady. This is a 45 minute treadmill session, so it can be tough if you are just starting. You can of course modify it to your time constraints and fitness level, so a 10 minute warm up, with 3 minutes of sprint intervals, then another 10 minutes will also be effective and done is about half the time.
The Uphill 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout
This is a much simpler workout and more suited if you are not keen on running, and was made famous by TikToker Lauren Giraldo. You simply set the treadmill to 12 degree incline (often the maximum setting), and walk at 3mph for 30 minutes. In terms of fat burning and fitness this might be more effective than the HIIT method, and it will be something you find more practical too.
Again, if you need to tone it down to start with, that is not a problem. If 10 degrees at 2mph for 20 minutes works better for you right now, do that instead. So long as you can maintain the pace for the set time you will be improving your health, and as soon as you feel it is too easy, increase the settings a little. Walking uphill is an excellent way to improve heart health, fitness and burn some fat. As my dad always used to say, horse trainers run horses uphill to get them fitter, so must work with humans too!
Lauren does here workout around 5 times a week, and lost about 30 pounds doing this. It is simple and effective, which is often the best approach! Of course, it is not a “new” method, as like with HIIT, people have been doing this for decades – I actually used this approach to improve stamina for a mountain climbing weekend about 25 years ago. If you can build the time up to 60 minutes you burn more calories, get even fitter, and will find a stroll in the Lake District like a walk in the park.
Here the famous Lauren Giraldo TikTok video that everybody is talking about.
@laurengiraldo #answer to @Cranky Crab Comedy and Puppets 12,3,30 fam where you at?!