By now, you might be familiar with the 75-Hard challenge – it’s become somewhat of a trend thanks to video sharing platform TikTok. The challenge went viral in late 2022 and saw more than 1 billion users using #75HardChallenge to share their progress and transformations.
While some swear by the challenge, others question the hype surrounding this new weight loss and mental challenge that claims to benefit both body and mind.
Let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details of the 75-Hard Challenge by looking at some of the rules and what you can expect.
What Is the 75-Hard Challenge?
The 75-Hard Challenge was created by motivational speaker, self-titled therapist, and trainer Andy Frisella. Described on his website as a mental and physical challenge that will completely transform your life, the 75-Hard Challenge took Frisella 20 years to perfect and promises to help you completely overhaul your life – mentally and physically.
Frisella promises weight loss, a boost in confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth, and an overall improvement of all aspects of your personal, social, and work life.
If that sounds a little too good to be true, rest assured, the challenge is anything but easy to complete.
It’s so difficult, in fact, that some people choose to complete a “lighter” version, known as the 75-Soft.
How Does It Work?
A quick search of the 75-Hard Challenge leads you to Frisella’s website, where he provides information about the challenge by listing the benefits and expected outcomes of the challenge based on his book.
There is, however, very little detail available on the website itself. More in-depth details are only available when you sign up for the challenge. But, thankfully for us, those who have done the challenge have shared the rules of the popular 75-Hard Challenge.
It is, in essence, a 75-day overhaul of your physical and mental health that includes regular workouts, a strict diet, healthy living tips, and working on your mental health by increasing your reading and self-reflection.
The Rules of the 75-Hard Challenges
As with any fitness challenge, rules must be followed to see the results. Let’s take a look at the rules of the 75-Hard Challenge in more detail.
Rule #1: Follow a Diet
Frisella does not make mention of any diet in particular but suggests that you follow an eating plan with no cheat meals and no “off days” for the full 75 days. Whether you choose a vegan, paleo, keto, or carnivore diet, as long as you stick with it, that’s good.
Rule #2: Two 45-Minute Workouts Every Day
While this amount of exercise might seem excessive or unrealistic, it is crucial to fit two workouts of 45 minutes each into your day. These workouts can include yoga, running, swimming, walking, weightlifting, or just about anything else that increases your heart rate. At least one of the workouts must be done outside, preferably in the sun.
Rule #3: Drink No Less Than Four Liters of Water Daily
We all know that drinking a sufficient amount of water positively impacts your health and mental well-being. Dehydration is known to cause unclear thinking, which can affect your work or school performance. Frisella’s challenge requires followers to drink four liters of water daily, flushing out toxins and improving mental performance.
Rule #4: Read Ten Pages of a Non-Fiction Book per Day
There is nothing better than picking up a good book and disappearing into a world of make-believe. The 75-Hard Challenge is a bit different; you must read ten pages of a non-fiction book daily. Whether you read the biography of an inspirational leader, a self-help book, or a psychology book that helps you improve your thinking, any book is fine as long as it is non-fiction.
Rule #5: Take a 5-Minute Cold Shower Every Morning
What better way to kick-start your day than with a cold shower first thing in the morning? Cold showers can relax muscles, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and lower stress and fatigue levels. Start your day right with a cold shower for at least 5 minutes. And when we say cold, we mean COLD. No lukewarm or room temperature. The colder, the better.
Rule #6: Take a Progress Photo Daily
The last person to see any physical changes in your body is you. Taking a progress photo every single day of the challenge will motivate you to keep at it and complete all 75 days of the 75-Hard Challenge. You can share them with friends and family members to keep you motivated.
Pros and Cons of the 75-Hard Challenge
Before starting any weight-loss program, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Let’s look at a few of the pros and cons of the 75-Hard Challenge and see if it is worth the extra time and effort.
The Pros
- Weight loss
- Increase in mental awareness
- Improved confidence
- Healthy eating and drinking habits
As Frisella’s website states, the challenge will help followers “take complete control of their lives.”
The pros look great, but the cons are worth a look at too.
The Cons
- Frisella has no qualifications as a therapist, dietician, or trainer
- Excessive exercise, as seen in the challenge, is not good for everyone
- Restrictive diets can be dangerous
- Excessive water intake could be dangerous
Feedback on the 75-Hard Challenge
Priyankaa Joshi, a writer for Women’s Health Magazine, tried the 75-Hard Challenge and shared her experience on the magazine’s website to help people make a more informed choice when considering this grueling challenge.
Here’s what she had to say about it:
Joshi started the challenge with overall physical and mental well-being improvements in mind and was taken aback when she learned that even skipping one task in a day meant that you needed to start from the beginning again. By day three, she was so exhausted that she could feel her muscles aching from overuse.
The length of the challenge seems a bit extreme for those who don’t exercise regularly, and it took quite a toll on her body. While she could see the physical changes in her daily progress picture, her mental health suffered, and she nearly quit the challenge altogether.
From restricting her diet to coming up with various exercise regimes, it felt like too much too soon, and it was only around day 50 that she started feeling the effects of the challenge. Until then, the stress of completing each task every day weighed heavily on her mind and took over her thoughts completely.
While there were a few positives – reading more and drinking less – Priyankaa would not recommend this challenge to those who do not have the time and effort to dedicate to the cause.
Our Final Thoughts on the 75-Hard Challenge
No weight loss or fitness challenge is perfect, and there are certain things that we tend to change to suit our lifestyle and schedule when starting a new challenge or regime. But, a good weight-loss and mental health challenge should never become your sole focus as stress over the difficulty of completing all the challenges each day may impact you more negatively than the positives from the challenge would bring.
Never start a new fitness regime or diet without consulting a doctor, and speak to a registered trainer for advice on the best exercise routine to help you focus on the areas where you need the help.
As we’ve highlighted, many issues seem to come to the fore with the 75-Hard Challenge, but is it worth the hype it has received? Or is it a challenge that you should rather skip?
While the proof is in the pudding, it is ultimately up to you to decide whether this is the challenge for you.
One thing we can say for sure: you’ll find no shortage of motivation from other TikTok users sharing their own journey. Just search #75HardChallenge.
