I Tried the 12-3-30 Treadmill Workout and Here's What Happened

You might have heard that certain workouts are the magic bullet for weight loss – but this isn’t the case, according to one expert. Alexia Degremont is a health and mindset coach “scientifically trained with European ease, helping you burn fat with true nutrition, not restriction,” she writes in her social media bio. In a new Instagram post, she does a little truth-busting, claiming that the highly hyped 12-3-30 workout isn’t the end-all-be-all of fat loss. “They’re lying! Incline walking won’t magically make you lose weight, burn fat, and reduce ‘bulkiness,’” she writes. Here is why – and also why switching from weights to Pilates isn’t the answer either.

She Claims That All It Does Is Increase Heartrate and Stimulate Quads and Calves

“I know there’s so much hype around the 12:3:30 workout,” she says in her post. The 12-30-30 workout involves walking on a 12 percent incline and 3 mph speed for 30 minutes. According to Alexia, all an incline walk does is “get your heart rate up faster and train and stimulate your quads and calves a lot,” she writes.

A Lot of Times Your Heartrate Goes Higher Than Needed

“Don’t get me wrong, low-intensity steady-state cardio is amazing for fat loss, and working out your legs is too!” she continues. “But most of the time, your heart rate actually goes higher than needed, bringing you into the fitness cardio zone – which burns carbohydrates (& calories), but not fat.”

It Won’t Lean or Tone Your Legs

According to the expert, “stimulating the exact muscles you want to shrink and already use all the time in everyday life isn’t going to give you slimmer legs,” she adds. “Fact is – no matter if you use your body weight, heavy weights, or an incline walk, enough stimulus on the muscle will grow your muscle, not lean it out or get toned!!”

Here Is What You Should Do Instead

“If you want to feel & look leaner, more confident in your body, and just slimmer, you need to:

1. First, reduce the amount of stimulus on the muscles you want to lean out,
2. Focus on fat burning with cardio & nutrition,
3. Then, re-introduce resistance training that prioritizes muscle tone, strength & health without gaining size.”

Switching From Weights to Pilates Won’t Lean You Out Either

In another post, she maintains that switching from weights to Pilates isn’t going to help you lean out. “Last week, I shared the workout routine I followed to go from bulky to lean in 3 months on my feed. After 2 years of working out, I was sick of feeling puffy, sore, exhausted, and honestly ‘bulky’…,” she writes in the post.

She Worked Out Hard and Followed a Strict Diet

She continues to explain that for nearly a year, she worked out hard and followed a strict diet. “I had gained 12 lbs of muscle and fat in the span of 9 months despite working out consistently and intensely (Isn’t that what’s required?) and eating ‘clean’ and trying to stay ‘in a calorie deficit’ (Shouldn’t that be enough to reach your best body!).” she writes.

She Transitioned From Weights to Pilates and Yoga

She then “decided to ditch lifting weights, HIIT, running, and only stuck to Pilates and yoga for a few months… to see if ‘reducing stress and lowering cortisol’ would lead to better results,” she writes. It worked – but not for long. “And – I lost the weight! I de-bulked! And I felt like myself again! But... it didn’t last.”

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She Lost Weight, But Also Muscle Tone

“While I lost weight and size, I also lost muscle tone, strength, and fitness, and I needed to be so strict with my diet, making sure I wasn’t eating too much, in order to maintain this lower weight, whenever I would indulge I would immediately notice negative changes! While I liked the visual, This didn’t feel sustainable or healthy either,” she continues.

You Have to Optimize Your Metabolism for Fat Loss

“If you’ve been there, you’ve asked yourself: ‘What am I supposed to do then!’ To get lean and stay lean and toned, I realized (and learned) that you have to optimize your metabolism for fat loss – And that requires building and maintaining lean muscle! And ‘Pilates’ or yoga alone – which are programmed for mobility and control, not muscle growth or tone – isn’t going to do that… When I finally understood what it takes to create real muscle tone without growing the size of my muscles, everything changed,” she says.

RELATED: Woman Reveals 3 Simple Ways She Built Her Dream Body in 30 Days

She Worked Out Less and Was Able to Eat More

“I was able to work out only a few times a week – seeing my body get leaner & toned every week,” she says. “I was able to eat more, which, as a real foodie, is a Win! But it's also just a lot more sustainable. I felt confident wearing crop tops & shorts because I wasn’t just “skinny.” I was toned! I wish I could tell you the Pilates craze is the cure to it all, But it isn’t. You’ll need the science & skills to prioritize muscle tone without gaining size through your workouts and nutrition.” And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.

Do you want to lean out your body and define your muscles without going overboard? This workout can help. Before I suggest specific movements to help build lean muscle tone, let me first go on record to say that building muscle takes more than 30 days. But every day counts, and 30 days of intentional, consistent movement will definitely help you move in the direction of lean muscle tone!

The Workout Should Take 45 Minutes

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Here is a great full-body, bodyweight workout that will help you tone your muscles, especially if done 3 to 4 days/week. If done with short breaks between sets, this should take about 45 minutes. You could add to the movements by using light dumbbells! Not sure what all this means? Contact a personal trainer to learn the proper form. And yes, there is cardio in a lean muscle tone workout! Your heart is a muscle and needs to be worked like every other muscle. Plus, this short cardio circuit will help you tone other muscles at the same time. Happy sweating!

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Do This Warmup, Two Times

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• Arm circles
• Quad stretch
• Bunny hops
• Five squats
• Three pushups

Do This Legs Set, Three Times

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• Ten squats
• Ten pulse lunges on each side
• Ten lateral lunges on each side

Do This Arms Set, Three Times

• Ten bent over front to side arm raises
• Ten push-ups
• 10 reverse plank lifts

Do This Hips/Glutes Set, Three Times

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• 10 bridge thrusts
• 10 bridge abduction
• 10-second bridge hold

Do This Cardio Set, Three Times

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• Circuit! 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off, repeat 3x
• Jumping jacks
• Toe touches
• Pulsing chair pose
• Butt kicks

Do This Core Set, Three Times

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• 30 plank taps
• 30 ankle grabs
• 30 ab twists
• 10 dead bug
• 10 bird dog

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Cool Down and Stretch

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Don’t forget to cool down and stretch. “Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints,” says Harvard Health. “Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.”

💪🔥Body Booster: In order to tone your body fast, work out for 45 minutes three to four days a week, doing a combination of strength training and cardio.

Carrie Rose is a Life Coach, and founder of SunUp Coaching LLC