Dear readers,

As the summer months are starting to approach (kinda a stretch but soon enough they’ll be here), we here at jerk decided to get FIT. Not for that “summer bod” ‘cuz in 2022 we know all bodies are bikini bodies. But to make us FEEL GOOD. Trust us. Nothing quite hits like that endorphin rush at 8pm on a Monday when you’re yearning for the thrill of the weekend. Aaaand the warm weather the other day kinda gave us summer blue balls so we need to get some dopamine somewhere.

Now we know what you’re thinking, how in god's name did you for one even get the motivation to decide to start working out… and what is the routine. We’re so glad you asked. One of our writers decided to actually do the Tik Tok challenge of going on the treadmill 3-5 times a week, like consistently. The trend is called the 12-3-30 which is 30 minutes on the treadmill at a level 12 incline with a speed of 3. People have been saying this is a great workout to do to burn calories and lose weight. Plus, strutting on a treadmill in your best two-piece workout set just SCREAMS hot girl moment. (Check out this playlist for our best workout jams).

We talked to an avid gym rat/neuroscience major, Zoe, who is a senior at SU and who has a banging fitness account @ezfittness to find out whether this trend is worth it or not.

“Overall, it's a good place to begin. You can lose a lot of weight doing this kind of cardio, but you could also do something more intense such as sprinting with less time and it would be just as effective. This is a great place to start though especially if you’re trying to get into the gym. If you haven’t worked out in a while, do less time on the treadmill than this so you can build your way up as this is an intense workout. If you keep up with this, you’ll most likely see results after a month or so.” Period.

Social media star Lauren Giralondo, so-called creator of the trend, first shared her “12-3-30” workout on YouTube in late 2019 and then later on TikTok last November. And now it has clearly taken over our FYPs and our minds.

This was all the influence we needed, so we decided to start this trend two weeks ago. Let’s just say the first week was, um, interesting.

Day 1 was hard: We got bored, sweat a bunch, but once we got to Day 4, we were feeling ourselves. This is literally the easiest workout ever in terms of figuring out how the equipment, uh, functions. No need to embarrass yourself or ask a gym employee for help. It’s v self-directed.

Week 2 has started and we’ve surprisingly kept up with it. Pairing it with a 10 minute ab workout, we’re starting to see some kind of result. Perhaps seeing a bit of ~debloating~ going on and, although it isn’t a huge difference yet, this is something any beginner can do and do it consistently. We’re confident if we keep up with this we’ll start to see some bigger results in a few more weeks!!

But going to the gym isn’t always about results. You don’t have to leave feeling like a skinny queen or whatever we are calling it these days. If you struggle to get motivated to make it to Barnes like we do, try switching your mindset into centering your personal pleasure through exercise. Connect with your body. Find your breathing rhythm. Take a break from your phone. It’s simply heaven.

Here’s to combatting our seasonal depression with more than just Prozac! Let us know how it goes for you guys.

Sincerely,

The Newest Gym Rats

Tik Tok Trends in the Gym