A Trainer's Perspective on 75 Hard
What is 75 Hard?
75 Hard is sold as a “75-day transformative program that will boost your self-esteem and grit.” It is the brainchild of Andy Frisella, CEO of 1st Form International, a nutritional supplement company.
There are 5 basic rules for 75 Hard:
You must follow a diet - no cheating, not even once
You must work out twice per day, for 45 minutes each time (one of the two workouts must be performed outside)
You must drink a gallon of water a day
You must read 10 pages of non-fiction every day
You must take progress photos every day
You do this for 75 days. If you miss ANY of the above rules, you have to start over at day one.
What I like about 75 Hard
It will teach you how to suffer. Following the 5 rules above for 75 days, with no cheating, will certainly build grit.
“Follow a diet” is vague advice, but it gives the participant space to choose a diet that is best for them.
It will teach you that you do have time to exercise and prep meals. I’ve worked in the fitness space for 10+ years and I can hardly get people to go on a daily 20-minute walk, let alone do two 45-minute workouts. Committing to this means you are actively finding 90 minutes in your schedule for exercise.
I love the promotion of education by reading non-fiction every day. This is great brain training!
Genius marketing strategy. Sexy sells: products, supplements, programs, apparel...you name it. People love extremism.
What I don't like about 75 Hard...
Pretty much everything.
It sets the average person up for failure. Period. If you are not a regimented, Type A, military-type personality, 75 Hard is going to be a painful and miserable process.
Two workouts per day is a terrible idea for anyone over 25 with a real life, real job, kids, and who isn’t hormonally optimized. You will likely get hurt or start having problems like tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, sciatica, low back pain, etc.
It says to follow a diet, with no breaks, for 75 days. Ha! That's all I have to say about that. I've met maybe one person my entire career who can maintain that level of unrealistic rigidity.
“Follow a diet” is vague. Yes, this was in the “pros” list above, but this only works if you have experience with crafting a healthy diet. The average person will struggle with this.
It sends the wrong message about exercise and diet, and how extreme and painful it needs to be. I get people in my studio all the time who say, "I hate exercise". Turns out, most of the people who feel that way have had terrible experiences with exercise. Misery does NOT attract long-term company.
75 Hard causes people to Quit Hard. What happens on day 76? The average person will celebrate with a pizza, donuts, and beer...and never look back because they spent 75 days in misery. I'm not impressed by people who complete an extreme program like 75 Hard. I'm impressed by those who maintain their results and habits afterward.
Why not follow 365 consistent…
Do 30 minutes of intentional movement every day.
Eat meals at home (or prepared from home) 6 days per week.
Drink 60 to 100 oz of water per day.
Eat 30 grams of protein per meal.
Do 2 strength workouts per week.
It’s not sexy. When you tell people about it, they won’t be wowed. But it’s simple and it won’t make you miserable. Do that for 365 days, and you truly will change your life…and it might even stick for life!