03/27/2025
75 Hard
What is 75 Hard?
75 Hard was created by Andy Frisella (the founder of 1st Phorm and author of The Book on Mental Toughness). 75 Hard is a 75 day challenge that consists of completing five critical tasks each day. These tasks are:
1. Two 45+ minute workouts (One workout has to be done outside)
2. Drink a gallon of water.
3. Read 10 pages per day (The book must be non-fiction and should focus on self improvement)
4. Follow a HEALTHY diet of YOUR choice that works toward YOUR goals. (No cheat meals, no alcohol)
5. Take a progress picture daily
These are the tasks. If you mess up or miss a task you must start over on Day 1.
I started the program on January 6th, 2025 and completed it on March 21, 2025. All tasks were completed each day and a lot was learned.
Here are some things I learned while participating in 75 Hard:
1. Routine is everything. If you create a daily routine towards your goals they are much easier to reach than if you don't. Most days I followed the exact same scheduled routine for my workouts, reading and progress picture.
2. Checklists are incredibly helpful: At the end of each day I would make sure all tasks were completed before bed.
3. Discipline becomes easier over time. By the second or third week it became easier to just do what needed to be done.
4. Weekends can sabotage your progress. No matter how hard we work during the week it can be very hard to bounce back from a weekend of unhealthy food and drinks.
5. Alcohol is a waste of time and money. I realized that you can have a great time with friends and family without needing to drink alcohol. Wisconsin culture makes us think that we have to drink every time we have a social gathering.
6. I hate the cold. The choice to do this challenge in the dead of winter made it a lot harder. A few days the windchill was 20-30 degrees below zero. This made my outdoor workouts very unenjoyable.
7. Small tasks can lead to big progress. Over the course of the 75 day program I read almost six full books (averaging 250-350 pages).
8. Completing a challenge like 75 Hard will make you feel great pride for persevering through the many obstacles that can arise over the course of two and a half months. Pride in your accomplishments is irreplaceable.
Results:
Starting weight: 187lb
Starting body fat %: 12.9%
End weight: 186lb
End body fat %: 9.8%
A small one pound difference in weight but over 3% body fat was lost. I attribute this to a very clean whole-foods diet with an emphasis on getting at least 180 grams of protein per day. Along with strength training for 60-75 minutes in the morning and 45-60 minutes of cardiovascular training in the evening.
Would you ever consider participating in a challenge like this? Let me know in the comments!