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

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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.

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!