75 Hard Challenge: The Rules, the Risks, and a Kinder Way to Get Tough
You have seen the photos. Day 1 and Day 75, side by side, a person transformed. Somewhere underneath the scrolling, a voice says: I could do that. I need to do that.
The voice is right about one thing. You are hungry for proof that you can keep a promise to yourself. That hunger is healthy. Whether 75 Hard is the right meal for it is a different question, and it deserves an honest answer before you pour the first gallon.
What is the 75 Hard challenge?
75 Hard was created by the entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella around 2019 and is presented as a mental toughness programme, not a fitness plan. The idea is simple: five non-negotiable tasks, every day, for 75 days in a row.
The 75 Hard rules
As described by CNN in 2026, every day for 75 days you must:
- Follow a diet of your choice, with no alcohol and no cheat meals.
- Do two 45-minute workouts, and one of them must be outdoors.
- Drink one gallon of water (about 3.8 litres).
- Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
- Take a progress photo.
And the rule that gives the challenge its teeth: miss any task, even once, and you start again from day one.
What 75 Hard gets right
Let us be fair, because there is real wisdom here.
- It is about keeping your word. Most people do not lack information. They lack the experience of being someone who does what they said they would. Seventy-five kept promises can change how you see yourself.
- It is simple. Five boxes to tick. No app, no subscription, no confusion.
- It mixes body and mind. Ten pages a day adds up to roughly 750 pages: a few books you would otherwise never have read. One woman who finished the challenge twice told CNN that the reading habit was the part that stayed with her.
- It gets you outside. Daylight and fresh air every single day is a gift many of us forget to give ourselves.
What experts warn about
The same CNN report gathered three experts, and their concerns are worth reading slowly.
Too much, with no rest
Dana Santas, a strength and conditioning specialist, warned that the volume is high and that the programme "doesn't provide any individualized guidance or programmed recovery." Ninety minutes of exercise a day, with zero rest days for eleven weeks, is a recipe for overuse injuries, exhaustion and burnout for many beginners. The World Health Organization's guideline for adults is 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus muscle strengthening on two days (WHO). 75 Hard asks for up to 630 minutes a week.
The gallon of water
Bethany Doerfler, a clinical research dietitian at Northwestern Medicine, said plainly: "I do not recommend drinking this much water." Forcing water while dieting hard and sweating twice a day can upset your electrolytes. Drinking far more than your body needs can, in rare cases, lead to hyponatremia (dangerously low blood sodium), which Mayo Clinic describes as able to cause nausea, headache, confusion and, in severe cases, seizures (Mayo Clinic). Mayo Clinic's everyday guide is about 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of total fluid a day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) for women, and that includes the water in food (Mayo Clinic).
The restart rule
Here is the part I care about most. Santas warned that starting over after one slip can reinforce a cycle of perceived failure, and Doerfler linked the all-or-nothing mindset to binge eating, negative body image and harsh self-talk.
Think about what the restart rule teaches. On day 61 you get flu, or your child is ill, or you simply forget the photo. The rule says: everything you did is worth nothing. That is not toughness. That is a lie about how people actually change.
If you want daily discipline with people who will not shame you for a hard day: request to join.
Friction kills habits
Katy Milkman, the Wharton professor who wrote How to Change, told CNN: "The more friction you put between someone and execution of a habit the worse it is in terms of habit formation." Two workouts, a gallon of water and a strict diet is a lot of friction for someone starting from the sofa.
Who should not do 75 Hard as written
Please speak to a doctor before you start, or choose a gentler plan, if you:
- have heart, kidney or blood pressure problems, or take medicine that affects fluid or salt;
- are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- have a history of eating disorders, or notice that food rules make you anxious;
- are recovering from an injury or are very new to exercise.
None of this is a judgement. It is just honesty about bodies.
A kinder 75: the same spine, less damage
Here is the version I would give a new Seeker. It keeps what is good (daily promises, body plus mind, a long arc) and removes what hurts.
| Original rule | The kinder 75 |
|---|---|
| Two 45-minute workouts, one outdoors | One 30 to 45-minute session a day, outdoors when you can, with one easy day a week (a walk counts) |
| Any diet, no alcohol, no cheat meals | Eat mostly real food, no alcohol, one relaxed meal a week without guilt |
| One gallon of water | Water to thirst, a glass with each meal, more in heat or after sweating |
| 10 pages of non-fiction | 10 pages of anything that makes you think (non-fiction, poetry, scripture, a good novel) |
| A progress photo | One honest line in a journal: what went well, what was hard |
| Miss a day, restart from day one | Never miss twice. One slip is life. Two in a row is a pattern; get back on the next day |
| (nothing) | One small kindness a day for someone else, for no reason |
Why "never miss twice"? Because the research on habits says one missed day does not undo the process. In a well-known study of how habits form, missing a single opportunity did not materially affect the long-term pattern (Lally et al., 2010). What matters is coming back. Read more in how long it really takes to form a habit.
Why the kindness? Because toughness that is only about you curdles into vanity. Toughness that serves someone else becomes character.
How to start on Monday
- Write your five rules on paper. Keep them small enough to do on your worst day.
- Plan your easy day now, not when you are exhausted.
- Tell one person. Not the internet. One person who will ask you on day 20.
- Decide what you will do after a slip before it happens: "I will do the next task, not the whole list again."
- Mark day 75 on a calendar and plan something quiet to honour it.
If you want help building your own plan, our free 30-day challenge generator makes one for body, mind, kindness or money in a few seconds.
A word on toughness
The toughest people I have known were not the ones who never missed a day. They were the ones who missed a day, said "not done" honestly, and showed up the next morning without drama. That is what we practise in the tribe: tasks every day, an honest tick, and no punishment when life gets in the way.
Seventy-five days is a beautiful length. Use it to become someone who keeps promises, not someone who breaks themselves keeping rules.
If you are ready for a daily path with honest ticks and no shame: request to join.
Walking beside you,
The Chief
Sources
- CNN Health (via ABC17 News), "Should you try the 75 Hard challenge? Experts warn the risks may outweigh the benefits", 21 March 2026. abc17news.com
- World Health Organization, Physical activity fact sheet. who.int
- Mayo Clinic, Hyponatremia: symptoms and causes. mayoclinic.org
- Mayo Clinic, Water: How much should you drink every day? mayoclinic.org
- Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.674
Related reading: How to be more disciplined · The 30-day self-improvement challenge · How much exercise do you need?
Questions
What are the 75 Hard rules?
Every day for 75 days: follow a diet of your choice with no alcohol and no cheat meals, do two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), drink a gallon (about 3.8 litres) of water, read 10 pages of a non-fiction book, and take a progress photo. Miss any task and you start again from day one.
Is 75 Hard safe?
It depends on the person. Experts quoted by CNN in 2026 warned about overuse injuries and burnout from two workouts a day with no rest, the risk of low blood sodium from forcing a gallon of water alongside heavy exercise and strict dieting, and the all-or-nothing restart rule feeding a sense of failure. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or have a history of disordered eating, talk to a doctor first.
Do you have to drink a gallon of water on 75 Hard?
The official rule says yes. Many dietitians disagree with forcing that amount. Mayo Clinic gives about 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of total fluid a day for men and 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) for women, including fluid from food. Drink to thirst, more when it is hot or you sweat a lot.
What is a good alternative to 75 Hard?
Keep the spirit (daily promises kept to yourself) and remove the parts that hurt: one workout a day with planned rest, water to thirst, a never-miss-twice rule instead of restarting, and one daily task for your mind and one for another person.
General information for wellbeing, not medical, psychological or financial advice. If you are struggling, see crisis help.