If you’re feeling stagnant, and lacking self-confidence and self-discipline, the 75 Hard Challenge might be just what you need. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the 75 Hard Challenge, my experience, and tips for success!
This post was originally written in November 2021.
What is 75 Hard?
The 75 Hard Challenge is a “mental toughness program” that was created by Andy Frisella in 2019.
Andy Frisella is an entrepreneur, public speaker, podcaster, and the CEO of 1st Phorm, a successful supplement company.
He created this program to help himself and others “take back control of their lives” and build self-confidence, self-belief, and grit!
While the program may not be perfect for everyone, the people that have successfully completed it have all experienced the same thing – incredible mental growth and clarity – myself, included.
75 Hard Rules:
Every day for 75 days you must complete the following tasks:
- Two 45-minute workouts
- One workout must be outdoors
- Drink 1 gallon of water
- Take a progress picture
- No alcohol or cheat meals
- Follow a diet
But here is what makes it a little trickier – If you miss ANY task on any day, you must begin the challenge all over again on day 1. Yes, if you forget to take your daily progress picture – you must start over again on day 1.
While a lot of people think that is extreme, I believe this is what makes the challenge. It is clear and straight to the point. You either do it or you don’t.
These six items become your daily non-negotiables. They become ways you must show up for yourself daily. No excuses are allowed.
The Six Daily Tasks:
For 75 days you must complete the six items on the list. There is a lot of flexibility in these items though. The diet, workouts, and books are totally up to you!
Below, I’ll briefly explain each task, my experience, and a few tips for success for a couple of tasks!
1. Follow a diet
You can choose any diet of your choice. Set some guidelines and follow them for 75 days.
My experience: I already ate relatively healthy before beginning 75 hard. I did, however, overindulge in sweets more than I should have. So, I decided to follow my normal diet but eliminated bread, all desserts/sweets (except fruit), and junk (chips, etc). I ate the same thing for lunch almost daily and the same things for dinner every week. I like structure and it took away any guessing games for meals!
Diet tips:
Be realistic here. Choose a diet you can follow consistently for 75 days. In my opinion, this is not the most ideal time to go full paleo/keto/(insert strict diet here). Yes, it should challenge you but it shouldn’t limit you so much that you fall off the tracks within the first couple of weeks.
2. No alcohol
Simple, do not drink any alcohol for 75 days.
My experience: I have never loved alcohol and don’t drink very often. After moving to France, however, I started drinking more glasses of wine and felt like I needed a reset from it – so this was perfect! This task was very easy for me but I did miss trying local wines on vacations.
3. Two 45 min workouts a day
Do two workouts a day. One workout must be outdoors and one can be indoors.
My experience: The workouts were sometimes challenging but they kept me moving even when I didn’t want to move. I began 75 hard at the same time I started training for my first Ironman 70.3. Ironman training was very time-demanding and made fulfilling my two workouts much easier for me. I did program one active rest day a week though. On these days I did a 45-minute yoga youtube video indoors and went on a 45-minute walk outdoors. There were days that I had headaches and other days that I just didn’t feel like working out (like post-Ironman) that I had to make myself power through. These days tested my will to show up for myself.
Workout Tips:
Start where you are with your current fitness. This is not the time to do a complete 180 and go to CrossFit two times a day if you have never been before. Workouts can be walks, yoga, lifting, running, biking, pilates… literally whatever you want them to be. You do not have to be extreme here. You can even do two walks a day if you need to! I’m not saying to take the easy route. Challenge yourself but also don’t go overboard. Plan your workouts each week, so each day you know what you’re doing. If you have an off day, adjust your plan!
4. Drink a gallon of water
ONE gallon of water EVERY DAY.
My experience: I ALWAYS had to pee and it was honestly very annoying. I didn’t realize how dehydrated I had been before introducing this daily habit. The gallon of water was the hardest task for me for the entire 75 days. A gallon of water is A LOT. In the beginning, it was almost painful but it did get easier as time went on. I had days when I crushed it and finished my water early and days when I had to stay up to finish chugging water (which also meant multiple trips to the bathroom throughout the night…ugh).
Water Tips:
Stay on top of your water from the moment you wake up. Drink water periodically throughout the day!
Purchase a gallon water bottle to track your water each day. We used these BPA-free Toba gallon jugs from Amazon that have ounce/time markings on the sides.
These bottles were crucial in helping us accomplish this daily task! Every night before bed we filled the bottles for the following day. Then the following day we filled our smaller water bottles from these jugs all day. If we were traveling, we just carried these around in the car. It made things super simple.
5. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book
Read 10 pages from an actual book a day. It cannot be a fiction book or audiobook!
My experience: Several months before beginning 75 hard, I started reading 10 pages a day. So this habit was extremely easy for me because it’s something I had already been practicing. I mostly read personal development and educational books. I also listened to a few audiobooks during this time (but these didn’t count toward my 10 pages a day).
Reading tips:
Choose books that generally interest you! Books that make you feel excited to read every day.
You can also habit stack reading into your day. What do I mean by this? If you already have a daily habit, try adding one of these tasks on top of it. For example, if you wake up and drink coffee on your couch for 30 minutes before you begin your day, try reading your book during that time while you drink your coffee.
Looking for books? Check out this list of my favorite non-fiction books!
6. Take a picture daily
Every day take a picture of yourself.
My experience: This task was simple and humbling. 10 years ago, I regularly took progress pictures and “workout selfies” but… at age 29, I rarely take pictures of myself, especially not with my shirt off. Every day when I looked at myself in the mirror as I took my picture, I was forced to confront myself… was I happy with the girl staring back at me? In the beginning, I wasn’t sure what my answer was but as the days progressed the answer became clearer – YES I was.
Picture Tips:
Try to take your picture in the morning right after you wake up every day to get it out of the way. I highly recommend taking and storing it in the 75 hard app (more information on that below).
What happened during 75 Hard?
I have tried countless challenges/fitness programs and have been reading personal development books for over a decade and I have NEVER experienced a change like I did while doing 75 Hard. Something just clicked for me internally with this challenge!
As I mentioned above, the 75 hard challenge is marketed as a “mental toughness program”. Yes, there will be physical changes that accompany your completion of the program but that is just a side effect.
While I did lose around 7 lbs – it was the mental growth from this program that was the most life-changing.
This program gave me an unbelievable level of mental clarity that I have never experienced before. It literally woke me up from a daze I didn’t realize I was living in… and I believe anyone that completes this challenge will come to understand exactly what I mean by that.
Testing yourself daily and doing what you say you’re going to do EVERY DAY no matter what, is life-changing. These experiences and showing up for yourself, even when it isn’t fun, will change you for the better.
Things to Consider:
Is 75 Hard right for you?
There are countless reviews from professionals explaining all the downsides to this challenge and while I don’t agree with the slander of the program, I understand 75 Hard may not be for everyone.
The “downsides” to this program:
- The program lacks specificity: Reviewers did not like its lack of specificity for workouts/diet, etc. Personally, I love this because this means anyone can do it. YOU get to DECIDE what diet you will follow and what workouts you will do. If you have an off day, you can change what you’re doing that day (fitness-wise) – you’re not stuck on a specific program. If your shoulder hurts, don’t force yourself to do a shoulder day in the gym. Instead, switch your program around and get your 45-minute workouts in another way! As for the diet, you are NOT forced to follow KETO/PALEO/WHOLE30 etc., you can create your own diet!
- It’s too restrictive: A lot of reviews disliked the do or do not daily tasks. I loved this part of the program. It was, perhaps, my favorite part! The daily to-do list becomes a list of things you MUST get done no matter what. It is a mental challenge most days but it builds self-discipline and confidence. I will admit, I did have feelings of “Oh crap, I don’t want to go back to the old me” when this program was over. I had a hard time feeling okay indulging in the foods I gave up for fear that I would feel crappy again.
If you have an unhealthy relationship with food, struggle with your body image, or deal with perfectionism/control – this may not be for you… and that’s okay.
My best piece of “advice” here is to ask yourself if you struggle with any of those feelings. If you do, it probably isn’t the best idea to attempt a challenge like this.
Challenge Timing:
While I don’t believe there is ever a perfect time for anything in life, I do believe there can be bad times to begin something like this challenge.
For example, I heard of this challenge at the beginning of 2021 when I was preparing to move from California to the South of France. I wanted to try the challenge but I knew it would be extremely difficult with everything I had going on at the time. I decided to start this challenge at the end of Summer 2021. By that time I knew I would be adjusted to my new home in France and better equipped to handle it. This decision was crucial for me to complete 75 hard.
If you decide to try 75 hard, make sure you are setting yourself up for success. I suggest you consider what you have going on for the next 75 days before beginning this program.
General Tips for Sucess:
Plan ahead
You know the old saying – If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail? Well, it is so true for this challenge.
Every Sunday, go over your workouts and meals for the week ahead. Consider your schedule, responsibilities, obligations, etc, and plan your tasks around those things. Things will come up and when they do, look at your plan and adjust as needed. Having a flexible plan to follow makes 75 hard much easier to complete.
Have an accountability partner
Have a friend or partner that would be up for trying 75 Hard with you? Ask them to join you (well in advance, of course)! It’s reassuring to know someone else is in the suck with you during those 75 days. I don’t know that I would have completed it without a partner!
Download the 75 Hard app
If you want to set yourself up for success, I highly recommend downloading the 75 Hard app!
In the app, a checklist is created for you to complete daily! You can set reminder notifications for yourself to complete any task, take/store your daily photos, and write notes under each day.
The app even saved me from forgetting my picture one night! The $5 one-time payment is absolutely worth it, in my opinion. It makes completing your daily tasks so much easier.
You can purchase it here in the Apple App Store.
Introduce Habits Early (optional)
If you are planning on beginning 75 hard and the thought of starting all these new tasks at once scares you… you can slowly introduce a few into your routine beforehand! Start reading 10 pages a day, taking a daily progress picture, or drinking half a gallon of water before beginning 75 hard.
75 Hard Summary:
The 75 Hard challenge is a NO B.S. way to help you build self-discipline and test your ability to show up for yourself. This free challenge can completely change your life for the better if you decide to give it a go!
There is a lot of flexibility in what diet/fitness regimen you can choose and which books you read, however, the checklist is clear. Before beginning this challenge, take into consideration what you have going on in the following 75 days. Be realistic with the timeline you choose. When you do decide to start 75 hard, download the 75 Hard app in the app store to help keep you accountable.
This challenge provided me with an unbelievable level of mental clarity that I’ve never experienced before. There are truly no words I could write to explain the changes that occurred within me and the mental shifts I experienced in just 75 days. I believe it’s something that needs to be experienced!
Thinking about starting 75 Hard but feeling unsure about it? Let me know what questions you have below in the comments!
