While it may not be sustainable over a longer period of time, the 75 Hard challenge has many positive physical and mental benefits for those who do it.
75 Hard is a challenge that tests both the physical and mental limits of those who do it. The challenge requires participants to do the following each day:
- Drink one gallon of water
- Have a 45-minute indoor and outdoor workout
- Follow a structured diet
- Abstain from alcohol
- Read 10 pages of a book
- Take a progress picture every day over the course of 75 days
If the participant fails to do all of the tasks, then they have to start over.
The challenge was created in 2019 by motivational speaker Andy Frisella and focuses on the mental benefits associated with the challenge along with the physical benefits.
“If you’re looking for a new fitness program or challenge, this is not it,” Frisella writes on his official website. “This is a program that can change your life starting from the inside. Are there physical changes? Yes! But trust me when I say the physical changes you see on the outside are a FRACTION of the results you can earn by completing 75 HARD.”
While you should talk to your doctor before starting 75 Hard, as cautioned by the official website, 75 Hard is great for your overall physical and mental health. The physical benefits of working out twice a day, with one of them being outside, allows participants to get in better physical shape and reduce their risk of diseases, such as heart disease. While two exercises a day could cause a burnout, as rest and recovery is also vital to exercise, the challenge does not require both exercises to be grueling.
One exercise could be more challenging, such as weight training, while the other could simply be a walk in the park. Following a structured diet, with the help of your doctor, can also help improve your physical health and learn to build healthy diet habits over time.
While growing up, I have been able to see firsthand the benefits of resistance training and cardiovascular exercise as both my parents are personal trainers and my family owns a gym. Both resistance and cardiovascular exercise improves your overall quality of life and makes everyday tasks easier while also decreasing your risk of threatening conditions in the long term. 75 Hard’s physical challenges will help anyone increase their physical health and get in overall better shape.
While there are noteworthy physical benefits to 75 Hard, the challenge is designed to improve the participant’s discipline and mental toughness. Learning to manage all the tasks into a daily schedule can be grueling itself, but also shows how much you can truly accomplish in a day.
“It taught me a lot about what you can actually fit into a day if you put your mind to it,” personal trainer Sophie Banyard, said.
Having talked to members of my family who have done 75 Hard, they have talked about how the challenge showed what they are capable of doing every day. Many of them talked about how finding time to read 10 pages of a book every day was the most challenging thing to find time for, but that it was extremely beneficial to their mental health and cognitive function.
Along with developing the discipline to manage your schedule enough to get everything done even during a single day, it is extremely demanding to find ways to get everything done over the course of 75 days. This helps participants build mental toughness that will last well beyond when they finish the challenge and helps them become more productive in their everyday lives.
As someone who has learned to enjoy lifting weights and working out more as I have gotten older, I have seen as many mental benefits as I have seen physical changes. Working out has helped me deal with stress better, reduce my anxiety and have more overall confidence in myself. These benefits will all apply to 75 Hard, along with the other benefits of reading daily and finding the discipline to get everything done every day.
While there are many physical and mental benefits to 75 Hard, it does have its downsides. It isn’t sustainable long term and thus could lead to participants reverting back to their old habits after they finish the challenge. As mentioned previously, it also doesn’t give adequate time to rest and recover, which is especially important for someone who is just starting on their fitness journey.
75 Hard is a grueling physical and mental challenge that, while it may not be suited for everyone, will help those who do participate build mental toughness while improving their physical health.
