I'm not a fancy fitness girl — I like basic, effective workouts that don't need a lot of skills, frills, or thrills. And since I love walking in the hilly woods near my house with my dogs, the idea of the 12-3-30 walking workout [1] got me all excited.
What is the 12-3-30 Workout?
The 12-3-30 workout is a treadmill workout where you set the incline to 12 percent incline, the pace to three miles per hour, and you walk for 30 minutes. Simple, right? Created by influencer Lauren Giraldo [2], she first introduced the 12-3-30 workout on YouTube in 2019 [3], but it didn't gain such intense popularity until Giraldo posted a TikTok about it in late 2020 [4], crediting it to how she's lost and kept off 30 pounds for two years. That's what intrigued me, the weight-loss aspect. Since I was still trying to lose some of the COVID pounds I had gained over the past year from baking so much (not much else to do in quarantine!), I wanted to see how the 12-3-30 workout compared to my other workouts and see if it was more effective at helping me get leaner.
I Tried the 12-3-30 Workout
I already have a treadmill that I MacGyvered into a walking desk for work, so I used that. I decided to try this workout for two weeks, just to see what all the excitement was about. Giraldo said she did it about five times a week, so that's what I did, too. I wanted to see how this walking workout compared to the rowing [5] I had been doing daily for the past four months, to the running I had been doing in the summer and fall, and to the HIIT workouts [6] I'd been throwing in at home. Could a walking workout really be as effective?
Walking Warmup
Before trying this 30-minute walking treadmill incline workout, I had been rowing 10,000 meters every day for four months (which takes about an hour). I didn't want to lose my rowing endurance completely, so I cut my rowing workout in half (5,000 meters), and I'd do that before this walking workout. I found it helped to warm up my lower back, glutes, and hamstrings for the steep 12 percent incline.
After getting off the rower, since I was already warmed up, I did a a couple minutes of stretching before getting on the treadmill. I did Down Dog [8] and Arching Three-Legged Dog to stretch my shoulders, hamstrings, and calves. And to open my hip flexors, I did Lizard [9] and Twisting Lizard.
Then I'd hop on the treadmill and warm up a little. I'd walk with no incline at a pace of 2.0 mph for a couple minutes, then I'd increase the incline to 12 for a couple minutes, and then I bumped up the pace to 3.0, started the workout on my Apple Watch, and went for 30 minutes.
What Is the 12-3-30 Workout Like?
Since I'd been rowing daily for four months straight, and before that, I was used to running, strength training, and walking my dogs in the woods a few times a week, I thought this walking workout would be really easy. I was so wrong!
The first day, my heart rate increased much higher than when I'm rowing or running (which made me realise I could push myself harder for both!). Walking on an incline actually felt harder than running on a flat surface, because I couldn't just use the momentum of bouncing off the balls of my feet to keep my pace. There were several minutes when I had to hold on to the treadmill handles, and I even had to hop off a couple times because my calves were getting so sore. It was definitely humbling to get my butt kicked by a walking workout!
By the third day, I was able to walk without stopping, but on the fourth day, I had to stop right before I was almost done because my foot started to hurt (always listen to your body!). My PT said that it's important to make sure I wasn't heel striking (stepping and landing on my heel instead of the ball of my foot).
I took two days off to rest and then finished off the week, and that helped. The following week I did four days, rested one day, then did two days. After my foot hurt on day four, I switched to my most supportive running sneakers, took more time to warm up with actual walking, and was more mindful about how my feet landed with each step. Taking a few extra minutes to stretch my feet and calves after the workout also helped.
By the second week, this walking workout was still feeling intense, but in a fun way. I loved how I could swing my arms harder to elevate my heart rate, or hold the handles if I wanted to tone down the intensity. I also loved how I could set the treadmill and just forget it, allowing this to be a very meditative form of movement.
How Many Calories Does the 12-3-30 Workout Burn?
The treadmill readout said I burned about 195 calories for this 30-minute workout. But I also tracked each workout over the two weeks with my Apple Watch, which noted that I burned a range between 210 and 230 total calories. For comparison, for me:
30-minute rowing workout at a moderate pace: burns around 205 calories
30-minute outdoor run: burns about 240 calories
30-minute, chill-paced outdoor walk around block (with doggy pee breaks): burns about 140 calories
I noticed that when doing these walking workouts, setting the pace to 3.0 mph forced me to keep that speed up. When I'm rowing, I'm in charge of keeping my pace, and on the Apple Watch, I could see that my heart rate range was about 20 BPM (beats per minute) lower than during the 12-3-30 workouts.
Over the course of the two weeks, I definitely felt leaner in my belly. And doing this walking workout inspired me to use my treadmill desk a little more. But I also didn't take as many walks outside because of freezing temps here in Vermont, so I think that evened out.
Benefits of the 12-3-30 Workout
Aside from burning more calories than my rowing workouts and outdoor walks, as I mentioned above, I loved the meditative aspect of walking at a consistent pace without having to think about it. I also noticed that walking on a 12 percent incline really targeted my glutes and hamstrings. I mean rowing also majorly works those muscles, so I was shocked that I noticed my legs and butt felt stronger. Even my husband noticed when walking behind me up the stairs one night.
12-3-30 workouts also made me feel stronger overall, which I noticed when walking hills in the woods by my house, backcountry skiing, pulling my kids up a hill in a sled, or when doing dumbbell squats and lunges. Who knew a simple walking workout would have this many benefits?! I'll definitely throw 12-3-30 into my weekly workout plan, to keep my muscles guessing, and prevent workout boredom.