In 2019, podcaster and entrepreneur Andy Frisella created 75 Hard, a program that he refers to as, “Ironman for your brain.” Described on his website as the “only program that can permanently change your life…from your way of thinking to the level of discipline you approach every single task in front of you with,” Frisella claims 75 Hard will allow you to make strides in your career, feel more confident and be in the best shape of your life to boot.
So what is the challenge and does it have any real benefits?
What is 75 Hard?
This program’s daily steps include:
- Completing two 45-minute workouts, one of which must be outside
- Sticking to a diet—any diet; no alcohol or cheat meals allowed
- Drinking 1 gallon of water
- Reading 10 pages of a book focused on self-development (physical copies only)
- Snapping a progress photo
You must follow these steps for 75 days. The catch is that if you miss one day, you must restart the program from the beginning. For many, that one detail might be the make-or-break moment in the program. However, many who have completed the challenge describe this step as essential and an effective way to develop accountability and discipline.
Doing 75 Hard
I’ve attempted this program a few times and found the tasks daunting. With four young kids, it seemed out of reach. Each time I lasted a week but couldn’t seem to move past that. Perhaps I don’t have the mental fortitude that Frisella talks about yet.
Yet, some people thrive on Hard 75. Two of them include Kira Fahey, an elementary school aide with three kids and Katie Wilson, a stay-at-home mom with four children.
“I had spent eight years in my child-bearing stage of life… I was ready to get my health (emotional, mental and physical) on the right track,” says Wilson. “I had no fitness base, terrible nutrition, and a somewhat defeated mindset with low confidence.” She says she was drawn to the “mental toughness” aspect of the program and felt very strongly that if her mind was right then “everything else would fall into place.”
Since beginning the program in 2020, she’s lost about 60 pounds, fallen in love with fitness and taken on the more advanced phases of 75 Hard. These instruct participants to complete additional daily challenges while continuing with the original five steps.
“I have never been more in tune with my inner self. I have never felt more strength in my body. I have never felt more connected to God,” Wilson says. She has run over 10 half-marathons and is about to run her third full marathon since 2022. “I have hiked a mountain and sat 14,000+ feet at sunrise. The books I’ve read have completely opened my mind and challenged me in the best way. I just feel alive.”
Kira Fahey had similarly amazing results. She says she never ran before 75 Hard. “I figured I might as well try it if I have to do an outdoor workout.” Within a single year she says she completed six half-marathons, two marathons, a 30k and a 50 miler. “It’s crazy how doing one challenge could help me find a new hobby I never would have tried.” She, too, has done the additional phases.
Translating 75 Hard Into Everyday Life
At first, Wilson and Fahey were excited about the physical changes from finishing the challenge. But what got them hooked were the emotional and mental benefits.
Wilson says that the challenge has given her confidence and motivation. “I thrive on checklists, structure and schedules. It is my happy place…75 Hard is the thing that got me moving and thinking and growing and changing when I had been stagnant for many years [mentally, physically, and emotionally].”
“Before 75 Hard I never cared about goal setting. Afterwards I realized how much I needed that,” adds Fahey.
Drawbacks of 75 Hard
As with many programs or challenges, there are risks, particularly with one as, well, hard as 75 Hard. Matthew Sacco, Ph.D., a health and sport performance psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic commented in a post, that there is “little-to-no scientific evidence that the program itself is beneficial.” And while some of the program’s elements originate from healthy concepts, he said, for example, exercising twice a day could potentially lead to over-exertion or injury—especially for those not used to that level of activity. (If you want to try this challenge, it is a good idea to consult your physician first.)
Wilson found having to drink a gallon of water and fit in two workouts daily to be the hardest parts of the program. “I also think just the dynamic of having your family on board and supportive can be challenging at times,” she says. “Sometimes I still have a workout to do late at night and it can cause a delay for them or a rearranging of plans. But including them on a walk, hike, or bike ride helps.”
Finally, there is the question of what happens after you’ve completed the challenge. Do the physical and mental changes continue? It probably depends on the individual.
Fahey says that while keeping up the 75 Hard lifestyle continuously isn’t realistic it did change her thinking and lifestyle. She has also continued some of the tasks. “If I’m ever in a mental slump I know starting 75 Hard again will help me.”
Photo courtesy of Yaroslav Astakhov/Shutterstock
