75Hard

Are you interested in a personal challenge to be your best? Read on to discover more about 75 Hard.

Every now and again I like to give a new personal challenge a try. Maybe it's my way of spicing things up or pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I've seen so much about 75 Hard over the last year and I have been feeling like I needed a reset these days so I wanted to give it a try. Join me?

My brother-in-law and I tried a 35 Day Challenge back in 2021. Now I want to try 75 Hard created by Andy Frisella. It's touted as "the only program that can permanently change your life" and as "the 75-day tactical guide to winning the war with yourself." If you put it that way, right? I had to try it.

What is the 75 Hard program?

Let me tell you what it's not first: It's not a weight loss program. It's not a fitness program. 

I listened to Andy Frisella's Real AF* podcast episode talking about why he developed the 75 Hard Program (it's actually a multi-phase program to be completed over a year called Live Hard) and what its purpose was. It was designed from the idea that you have to put yourself in places that are uncomfortable in order to develop mental fortitude.

It is a personal challenge to build mental fitness, confidence, and grit over the course of 75 days.

Is it a passing fad? Maybe. But I have major FOMO so let's do this!

Who is Andy Frisella?

Andy Frisella is an entrepreneur and influencer who created 75 Hard and the whole Live Hard program. He is the CEO of a supplement company, author, and podcaster. He is a take charge, no bulls* kind of guy who tells it how it is and makes no apologies. He is really intense...which explains a lot about the vibe of 75 Hard.

Keep in mind that Frisella is not a licensed dietician, nutritionist, or personal trainer, and the program isn't based on any scientific research.

What are the requirements for 75 Hard?

For 75 days straight you have to complete the following. Every. single. day. No exceptions.

1. Drink a gallon of water per day. Only plain water. No enhancers, mix-ins, protein shakes, tea, etc. You can obviously still drink those but it won't count toward your 1 gallon requirement.
2. Follow a diet. No alcohol. No cheat meals. You must choose a diet to follow based on your personal goals. For example, mediterranean diet, low-carb, no fried food, keto, vegan, vegetarianism, Whole30, plant-based, etc. 
3. Complete two 45-minute workouts. One must be 100% outside. They cannot be done consecutively. Pretty much any workout counts. Dog walks, biking, jump rope, yoga, weightlifting, sitting outside doing pushups for 45 minutes, etc.
4. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book. Audio books do not count.
5. Take a daily progress photo.

Some FAQs

Andy Frisella has an entire FAQ section on his website devoted to questions about this challenge. As Andy Frisella says, "if you have to ask, the answer is always choose the harder option." Some of the questions I had were:

When does the "day" begin and end? It begins when you wake up and ends when you go to sleep. So if you need to stay awake until 4 AM to finish your tasks it still counts. But if you go to sleep it's over. You either did your tasks or you didn't. And if you didn't then you fail and have to start over at zero.

Can the 45 minute workouts be split up throughout the day or do they have to be consecutive? It has to be 45 minutes straight without interruption. However, the two workouts cannot be back to back.

Can the two workouts be back to back? No. They need to be at least 3-4 hours apart according to Frisella.

Can I modify the tasks? No. Absolutely no deviations are allowed. 

What kind of books do I have to read? They must be non-fiction, either self-help or entrepreneurial/business, books. Some common ones I saw online include Can't Hurt Me, Chasing Excellence, Never Split the Difference, Atomic Habits, Chop Wood Carry Water, Quit Like a Woman, The 10X Rule, 4000 Weeks. Even the Bible counts (confirmed by Andy Frisella himself).

Can I join 75 Hard?

Absolutely! If you want to give 75 Hard a try definitely share your progress and experience with me! Use the official #75Hard hashtag on Instagram and don't forget to tag me @completelynikki. I'd love to see all of your journeys through 75 Hard.

I am beginning my 75 Hard journey on June 1, 2023. Assuming I never fail I'll complete the challenge on August 15th. Wellllll we'll just see how it goes. I'll be sharing a recap every now and again here on the blog but day-to-day updates will be posted on my Instagram. 

Have you challenged yourself recently? Good luck with this challenge if you try it!