Before I go on to tell you about my grueling experience with this workout, let me tell you what it is. The 12, 3, 30 method is a treadmill exercise that was trending on TikTok in 2020 because of a content creator known as Lauren Giraldo. She had lost a lot of weight with this seemingly easy workout that consists of a 12 incline at 3.0 speed for 30 minutes. It is promoted on multiple websites like Women’s Health and Eating Well as a simple cardio workout that anyone without underlying conditions can do. The purpose of this experiment is to test out the challenge, and see if I can reach 30 minutes by the end of five days.
Day One: Testing Out The Waters
On the first day, I could tell this was going to either end me or complete me. It was a truly humbling experience because I was only able to withstand 10 minutes. I hadn’t just done it on a limb; I warmed up beforehand for ten minutes, but the incline was intense. I felt like I was fighting gravity because of the constant feeling that I was going to fall back. The speed was a bit uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the most challenging aspect. I stopped early on because my knees started hurting and I got a massive headache. Nevertheless, I would keep trying the next day.
Day Two: Will Powering Through it
My legs were very sore from the day before and my knees were killing me, but I had a mission. So, I went to my gym and powered through it. Still, I was unable to reach 30 minutes. I had warmed up for 10 minutes, but only did 12, 3, 30 for 12 minutes. That is when I realized there had to be a change of plans. This made me figure out 5 days in a row wasn’t possible without injuring myself. So, I decided to have a rest day in between workouts to permit my body to fuel up. Next time, I went with a different mentality.
Photo retrieved from Jamie Harrington on Pinterest
Day Three: Figuring It Out
After my rest day, I put my all into it. This method worked better for me, and I was able to do a lot more with a rested body. Additionally, I built up to the 3.0 speed but maintained a 12 incline the whole time; this allowed me to get used to it. Before, I was upping the incline and the speed at the same time, but it was hurting me instead of helping. This new way made the challenge tolerable, and I was able to add in 20 minutes. I celebrated that day, but knew it wasn’t over yet.
Day Four: Change of Environment
For motivation, I went with some friends to their gym and I noticed something different with the treadmill. The incline felt a lot less as if it were on 10 instead of 12. It didn’t feel as steep, and the speed wasn’t as fast as the ones at my gym. At first, the thought that I had just built up resistance was there, but then I mentioned this detail to my friend. She agreed with me, “I’ve done this before at my boyfriend’s gym, and the incline on those treadmills are like tripled.” This interaction made me understand that the brand of the treadmill could also affect how intense the workout might be for you. That day I ended up doing 20 minutes because I had little time, but knew I could have done more. Nevertheless, I was motivated to go even harder.
Day Five: Completed My Goal
This was the last day of the challenge and I was determined to reach 30 minutes. I huffed and I puffed, and somehow I got there. All my sweat and suffering had been worth it because by the end of it, I felt amazing.
Photo taken by Roxy Maldonado Atencio
In Conclusion
I disagree with the 12, 3, 30 method being a beginner-friendly workout because I’m someone who exercises constantly, and found it quite difficult to complete at first. It’s quite challenging, and it might be more convenient for people that are used to High Intensity workouts. Also, it’s important to mention that this wasn’t done 5 days in a row but 5 days throughout the span of two weeks. This is due to me being able to function better with rest days in between.
I was able to complete my goal, and challenge myself not only physically, but mentally. I figured out throughout the days that this wouldn’t be a workout that would take part in my lifestyle, but it taught me to be self-disciplined. It tested me, and made me analyze the task at hand so I could be better.
At the end of the day, working out isn’t about following trends. You’re doing it to better yourself; therefore it’s important to find what fits for you depending on your limitations and needs. Just because something works for one person doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.