Its really just treadmill walking, with specific parameters and overblown promises.
What is the 12-3-30 workout?
Its walking on a treadmill with the incline maxed out.
In other words, youll be walking uphill.
Its popularizer,Lauren Giraldo, has said she does it five times a week.
Is the 12-3-30 workout good for weight loss?
No individual workout is going to be responsible for weight loss.
You lose weight byeating slightly less than you burn, measured as an average over time.
So, is exercise good for weight loss?
Does it guarantee a certain amount of weight loss?
Nope, not at all.
And does the 12-3-30 workout do anything special to help you lose weight?
Is the 12-3-10 workout appropriate for beginners?
Look, this workout ishard.
If you havent done any treadmill walking, lets take a little tour through the numbers.
So that part is pretty reasonable.
But then you start bumping up the incline, and everything changes.
A 1% incline is noticeably harder than walking on flat ground.
2% is already pretty steep.
Keep hitting that increase incline button and by the time you hit 12% its going to be ridiculous.
(For comparison, riding lawnmowers arent usually recommended for a 15% slope.
(Think calves, hamstrings, butt, and quads.
Maybe your back, too.)
Is the 12-3-30 workout so good you dont need strength training?
Once your body gets used to this workout, it iscardio.
So if you want to do this and your body is up for it, great!
What the 12-3-30 workout gets right
First, inclined treadmill walkingreallyisa great alternative to running.
Secondly, its simple.
That breaks down a ton of the barriers people often have when theyre starting a new exercise program.
Just go in, and do it.
Exercise routines are not one-size-fits-all, and you better find the workout that makes sense foryou.
So, start by finding a speed on the treadmill where you could walk for at least 20 minutes.
Once you’re able to get 20, extend it to 30.
If youre out of shape to start with, this whole process may take a few weeks.
In the meantime, work on your consistency.
Can you exercise three times a week?
Again, start with whatever you’re able to do, and add onto it.
Now youre at 0-3-30, and doing this three times a week.
Maybe this is enough for now.
When youre ready for more of a challenge, start increasing the incline.
Can you still make it 30 minutes if the incline is set to 1%?
How about 2%?
It doesnt matter if the incline is 1% or 12%.
And if you hate treadmill walking, theres nothing magical about ityou can hop on an ellipticalor spin bikeinstead.
