Why Is “12 Weeks” Such A Popular Transformation Period

If you’re someone who’s looking for a transformation program to get on, hoping to completely change how you look and feel, presenting a brand new ‘you’, then you’re likely finding multiple options.

There’s no shortage of transformation protocols to select from, but one thing that you will notice amongst all these is that the classic length they run for is 12 weeks.  Whether it’s the Metabolic Precision Program, the Body For Life challenge or the Michelle Bridges 12 WBT, you’ll notice they all have this in common.

Why is this? Is there something magical about 12 weeks? How come it seems like every transformation program you see is dedicated to this period of time?

Let’s take a closer look.

Habit Building

First, whenever you go on a transformation, the goal is not just to get you from point A to point B, but then to keep you at point B from that day forward. It would be highly discouraging to build your new body and then a few weeks later, lose it entirely as you resort to your old unhealthy habits once again.

The good thing with the 12 week challenge is that 12 weeks is easily sufficient time to build new habits that will stand the test of time.

It’s easier for you to really get into your groove with the new lifestyle, ensuring that you will continue to utilize those techniques from that day forward.

This is what makes a transformation successful.

Time To See Results

Second, you also need enough time to see good results. If a transformation was just 3 weeks long, chances are you wouldn’t be looking all that much different than you look today.  It’s simply not enough time to make changes on a grand scale.

But 12 weeks? Much can be accomplished if you’re a dedicated individual over a 12 week period. You definitely can shed a significant amount of body fat and firm up the rest of the muscles in your body as well.

Motivation To Complete

Finally, the last reason why 12 weeks is a popular choice for most transformation programs is because anything longer than this period and you might start to see some drop-offs taking place. 

Most people have a hard time building up the desire to start the transformation in the first place; if they know they have to make changes for 24 weeks (or whatever the number happens to be), this may just be too long for them to commit to.

12 weeks is a nice number where you will easily be able to stay on course, pushing through until the end. It is also a common timeframe that elite level athletes use in specific phases of their training, called 

So next time you’re hunting down a challenge to partake in, always keep the 12 week ‘magic’ number in mind. If a challenge is designed differently – fewer or more weeks, you may want to question whether it really is going to be the best set-up for you to utilize.

Always keep in mind that you need enough time to see results but not so much that you lose steam to complete the journey. 

Personally, I design my entire workout schedule in 12 week blocks, and still learn and get-excited about each new cycle. Each new plan brings with it a new goal, a new set of exercises and a different mindset from the previous plan. For best results, look to take a week off in between 12 week cycles to engage in less-strenuous activity, this will allow the body some time to recover and replenish, and come back even stronger. :-)

Stay Solid Lochs