"What's the 75 HARD Challenge All About? Discovering Its Benefits, Rules, and More!"

 

If you're active on social media, you may have seen the hashtag #75Hard at some point, posted with physical progress pictures, a book cover or a gym selfie. But what exactly is the 75 Hard Programᅳand is it something you should consider trying?

What is The 75 Hard Challenge?

The 75 Hard Challenge was created in 2019 by entrepreneur Andy Frisella, a podcaster and CEO of the supplement company 1st Phorm. 75 Hard is not a fitness challenge, but a “transformative mental toughness program,” according to the program's website.

Frisella created 75 Hard after interviewing James Lawrence, who's known as the Iron Cowboy for completing 50 Ironman races in 50 consecutive days across all 50 states. After Lawrence told Frisella that you must intentionally put yourself in places that are uncomfortable in order to develop mental fortitude, Frisella was inspired to create 75 Hard.

The 75 Hard Rules

Frisella says the rules of 75 Hard are simple, but that doesn't mean the plan is easy.

There are five daily tasks (plus one over-arching rule!) which much be executed consistently for the entire 75 days.

If you skip a day, you must start over:

If you miss a task, you must start over at day one. "You can't tweak the program to your liking... it's supposed to be inconvenient and it's supposed to be hard," said Frisella. "In life, conditions are never going to be perfect; you're always going to have to do things that you don't want to do and the minute you start tweaking or compromising, that's what opens the door to quitting."

Pick a diet to follow, with no alcohol or cheat meals: 

You must choose a diet based on your goals and stick to it. But there's a second caveat to the rule: No cheat meals and no alcohol. In a culture that depends on after-work drinks or wine once the kids are in bed, Frisella acknowledges the difficulty of this task. "Not a drop. Not a beer. Not a wine. Not a glass when you get home. Nothing for at least 75 days," he said. "There's a number of reasons for this: Empty calories, psychological addiction, physical addiction. Also, we're talking about detoxing your body for 75 days... You don't understand how foggy you are because of this (alcohol-drinking) lifestyle."

Drink a gallon of water daily. "Make sure you start early and be consistent throughout the day so that you're not chugging a gallon of water before you go to bed," Frisella said, which, he admits, he had to do a few times himself.

Complete 2 daily workouts: 

One of the most time-consuming parts of 75 Hard is the workouts: Two 45-minute workouts of your choice must be completed per day and one of those workouts must be done outside, regardless of the weather. "This is the point of the program ᅳ conditions are never perfect," said Frisella. "And one of the reasons that most people can't get through life in an effective way is because the minute conditions are tough, they throw the towel in on their plan."

Read 10 pages per day of a non-fiction book:

"This is not entertainment time, this is not 'Harry Potter' time, this is learn new stuff time," Frisella explained. "The book has to be a self-development book of some kind and it has to be for personal growth." He also stresses that it needs to be a physical book, not an e-book you read on your phone or tablet.

Take a progress photo every day: 

"This is not just to show your physical transformation... once you start getting some progress, fitness or business or anywhere else, you start to forget the little details as you go," said Frisella. These photos will help you remember the daily progress of your journey, he said. He also encourages people to take photos that show their body, recognizing that this may be difficult, but that these photos are for you only and don't need to be posted.

The intensity of the program seems to be attractive to people who are seeking dramatic change. Since Frisella created the program in 2019, there have been more than a million posts on Instagram using the #75Hard hashtag and TikTok is filled with videos of people documenting their daily routines and success stories.

Frisella says he's not surprised.

"If you follow the program exactly as it's laid out, you will be a completely different person," he said. "You will look different. You will talk different. You will f------ think different. You will be a different human completely."

Potential Benefits of 75 Hard

The 75 Hard program claims to improve your:

Confidence

Self-esteem

Perseverance

Self-worth

Self-belief

Fortitude

Grittiness

well-hydrated and be able to see any physical results through a catalog of daily progress photos.

There can be benefits to following a structured wellness plan, according to experts. “As a dietitian, I’m all for people paying closer attention to their nutrition and physical activity routines, and the 75 Hard program certainly encourages that,” says Noah Quezada, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Colorado. “One of the major benefits of this program is that it promotes consistency. Consistency is key when it comes to seeing results from any type of health and fitness plan.”

Mindset coach Carrie Veatch recently completed the program, which she enjoyed. Based on her experience, she believes participating in 75 Hard can help people eliminate negativity from their lives while appreciating what their minds and bodies are truly capable of when they commit and follow through.

Personal trainer and kettlebell coach Sophie Banyard also completed 75 Hard, and she found the program tough but doable. “It taught me a lot about what you can actually fit into a day if you put your mind to it,” she says. Banyard credits the challenge as the catalyst for her giving up alcohol entirely, which she regards as one of the best decisions she’s ever made.

Potential Drawbacks of 75 Hard

There are some potential drawbacks to the 75 Hard program as well, according to experts. While Quezada likes the consistency of the program, he says he has concerns about its rigidity. “It’s very restrictive in terms of diet and doesn’t allow for any ‘cheat meals.’ This [rigidity] can make it difficult to stick to [in the] long term and may even lead to an unhealthy relationship with food,” he says.

Because it’s an all-or-nothing program, 75 Hard doesn’t allow for uncertainty. “It doesn’t teach you any skills to help deal with slip-ups or teach you sustainable behaviors,” says Saara Haapanen, Ph.D., a performance coach, motivation expert and certified personal trainer in Colorado. “It doesn’t allow for giving yourself any grace.”

75 Hard doesn’t provide guidance around specific fitness or nutrition plans, either. While this flexibility allows individuals to eat and exercise in a way that makes sense for them—one person might be a vegan weightlifter while another prefers yoga and a low-carb meal plan—it can leave those without a lot of nutrition or fitness knowledge struggling to come up with an effective routine that helps them progress toward their goals, according to Jackie Kaminski, registered dietician nutritionist and nutrition instructor for the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Potential Health and Safety Risks of 75 Hard

It’s important to note that 75 Hard is not backed by scientific research. Frisella chose 75 days as the program length based on his own instinct, according to an episode of the 75 Hard podcast.

Although the benefits of physical activity are well documented, 75 days with no chance to rest could put participants at risk for overtraining injuries, depending on what they choose for their workouts and what their current fitness level is. The program’s built-in emphasis on perfection might also negatively affect some people, according to Dr. Haapanen.

“Programs designed as ‘X-day challenges’ typically use weight loss and lifestyle habits that are not sustainable and, in some cases, completely unhealthy,” says Brooke Cavalla, a certified prenatal and postnatal exercise specialist and personal trainer in California. In fact, she says she steers people away from any program that has an end date. “Because of this [end date], [these programs] can lead to yo-yo dieting, poor self-esteem, discouragement, body image issues and even disordered eating habits when the program can’t be maintained as a complete lifestyle change.”

What Do Experts Say About 75 Hard?

While there may be pros to a challenge like 75 Hard, some experts are cautious of the cons.

“The good with 75 Hard comes along with the potential [of] habit formation and confidence with completing the program,” says certified strength and conditioning specialist Jake Boly. “If you can continually remind yourself that little things add up, then I see the benefit of the program assisting with one’s ability to build better habits, which can carry over post–program completion.”

However, beware of pendulum swings after the 75 days have passed, he says. “Whenever you make a dramatic lifestyle change like doing 75 Hard, you run the risk of losing sight of the bigger picture regarding moderation,” he adds.

75 Hard could be a good program for someone who’s already active but probably isn’t suitable for beginners, says certified personal trainer and nutrition coach Stephanie Thomas. “The daily list of activities and tasks to be completed can feel daunting for someone who is just getting into fitness,” she says. Thomas recommends starting with one or two goals at a time and adding more as those goals are attained.

Dr. Haapanen agrees that certain people may find 75 Hard to be just the thing they need to kickstart healthy habits. However, she thinks there are superior options for most people based on her approach. “I prefer baby steps in life change behaviors,” she says. “In my practice, I aim to help my humans be 1% better every day. I find this [strategy] to be more sustainable, realistic and fun.”

Is the 75 Hard Program Right for You?

When choosing any lifestyle change program, Cavalla recommends asking yourself the following questions:

What’s my game plan for when the program ends?

What do I hope to accomplish other than completing the program?

How will this program improve my current exercise and eating habits?

Is this program something I can maintain forever, or will it become unrealistic in my lifestyle?

If you’d like to give 75 Hard a go, consider working with a dietitian and trainer to create a diet and exercise plan that’s best suited to your goals. Furthermore, even if the 75 Hard isn’t a good fit for your lifestyle, these professionals will help you design a diet and physical fitness program that fits your unique needs. Always speak to your health care provider before beginning a new exercise or wellness program to make sure it’s right for you.

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