12-3-30 Workout for Beginners - With or Without a Treadmill

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions shared are my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click to view our full disclosure.
All content is created by humans – not AI.

The TikTok 12-3-30 workout is popular, but what if it’s too hard or you don’t have a treadmill? Here are 4 modified 12-3-30 workouts to try today!

Below, we’ll look at what the TikTok workout is, as well as, how you can do a modified 12-3-30 workout with a lower incline, stair-master, rowing machine, or an elliptical.

We even have a workout for you if you don’t have a treadmill!

What is the TikTok 12/3/30 workout?

The 12-3-30 workout is a straightforward walking program. You walk at a 3 miles per hour with a 12% incline for 30 minutes. You can do the workouts 3 to 5x a week.

What if the 12-3-30 is too hard?

The 12-3-30 workout is an intermediate workout that may be too hard for beginners, people with knee issues, or anyone with a significant weight to lose.

One 12-3-30 modification is to drop the incline.

You could start with 1-2% incline and each week up the incline by 1% until you hit the super steep 12% incline.

Can you hold on while doing 12-3-30?

While the 12-3-30 workout is popular, it can too much for beginners.

You can always hold onto the sides of the treadmill for safety or lower the incline.

Even an incline of 2 to 8% is a great workout!

How many miles is the 12 3 30?

The 12-3-30 workout is 1.5 miles in 30 minutes.

Can anyone do 12-3-30?

Walking is a great way to get in your physical activity; however, exercise physiologist DeAnne Davis Brooks, EdD, notes that you need to be in pretty good shape to complete the 12-3-30 workout.

The incline significantly increases the intensity of the workout — making it a harder cardio challenge.

If you don’t like to run, it can be a great way to up your heart-rate, but if you are a beginner or have knee issues, we recommend starting with a lower incline and/or speed.

12-3-30 Workout Results

How much weight can you lose in a month?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 1 to 2 pounds per week is a good pace for weight loss.

If you are watching what you eat and staying active, that is a realistic goal.

How many calories does the 12/3/30 workout burn?

The average person burns around 250 – 280 calories during the 12-3-30 workout.

12-3-30 Benefits

The 12-3-30 benefits include all of the benefits of regular walking.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

These include:

strengthening your bones and muscles,
increasing your balance and coordination,
and boosts weight loss.

Walking also helps prevent or manage heart conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Workout rewards can help you stay motivated too! Check out our favorite non-food workout rewards!

12-3-30 Modifications

If you are looking for a 12-3-30 workout without a treadmill, you can always do a low speed, high resistance workout on a bike, stair-master, rowing machine, or elliptical.

12-3-30 Workout on Bike

While the numbers “12-3-30” won’t match up on a bike, you can get a similar calorie burn and benefits cycling!

If you’re looking for a steady, slower pace on an incline, you’ll want to increase the resistance on the bike while keeping your cadence slower.

60 RPMs is realistic for a moderate resistance.

12-3-30 Workout on a Stairmaster

You can do a modified 12-3-30 workout on a StairMaster as well. You would just need to adjust the settings a bit.

Another popular TikTok video with a similar intensity and calorie burn is the 25-7-2 workout.

It’s 25 minutes, at a level 7, twice a week.

If you’re not ready for a 7, you could always start out at a lower setting and climb for 25 minutes.

12-3-30 Workout on Elliptical

You can adjust the 12-3-30 workout to be on the elliptical using the manual settings.

If there are 20 resistance levels, start at a level 5 and workout for 30 minutes.

12-3-30 Workout on Rowing

You could also do a rowing machine workout for 30 minutes at a steady pace.

12-3-30 Workout Without Treadmill

If you want to do the 12-3-30 workout without a treadmill, you could always look for a hilly area near you.

You’d want to walk up the hill for 30 minutes at a slow pace of around 3 mph.

If you’re looking for a modified 12-3-30, the main thing to remember is you want to find a workout that is doable and something you can stick with long term!