75 Hard Challenge: The Rules, Is It Safe, and How to Do It at Home

Quick answer: 75 Hard is a 75-day "mental toughness" challenge created by Andy Frisella. Every day you must: (1) follow a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, (2) do two 45-minute workouts, one of them outdoors, (3) drink a gallon of water, (4) read 10 pages of a nonfiction book, and (5) take a progress photo. Miss anything and you restart at Day 1. Many people choose gentler versions like 75 Soft instead.

Key takeaways

• 75 days, 5 daily rules, no rest days, no exceptions.
• It's a discipline program, not a training program. It doesn't tell you what workouts or diet to do.
• Common criticisms: no rest days, a one-size-fits-all water rule, and a restart rule that can feel punishing.
• A home gym makes it much easier to fit in two workouts a day.

The 75 Hard rules

#	Daily rule	Practical notes
1	Follow a diet. No cheat meals, no alcohol.	You choose the diet, so pick something sustainable.
2	Two 45-minute workouts, one outdoors	They must be separate sessions.
3	Drink 1 gallon (about 3.8 L) of water	Spread it across the day.
4	Read 10 pages of nonfiction	Audiobooks don't count under the original rules.
5	Take a progress photo	Same lighting and pose helps you compare.

If you miss any rule on any day, you start over at Day 1.

Is 75 Hard safe?

For most healthy adults, the core habits (exercise, reading, eating well, drinking water) are positive. But some parts deserve caution:

• No rest days. Two hard workouts every day for 75 days raises the risk of overuse injuries and burnout. Make one of the two workouts easy, like a walk, stretching or mat Pilates, on most days.
• The water rule. A gallon a day is fine for many people, but needs vary. Drinking very large amounts quickly can be harmful. Sip it through the day, and ask your doctor if you have kidney or heart conditions.
• The diet is undefined. Avoid crash diets; very low calories plus two daily workouts is a recipe for fatigue.
• Mental health. All-or-nothing rules can make some people feel like failures. It's okay to choose a modified version.

If you have a health condition, check with a healthcare professional before starting.

75 Hard vs 75 Soft vs 75 Medium

Many variations have spread online. Rules differ by source, but a common version of each looks like this:

	75 Hard	75 Medium (common version)	75 Soft (common version)
Workouts	2 × 45 min daily, one outdoors	1 × 45 min daily, 1 rest day a week	1 × 45 min daily, with active recovery allowed
Diet	Strict, no alcohol	Eat well, limit alcohol	Eat well, drink only on social occasions
Water	1 gallon	~3 L	~3 L
Reading	10 pages nonfiction	10 pages	10 pages
Restart rule	Yes	Varies	Usually no

A sample 75 Hard workout week (home gym + outdoors)

Pair one harder indoor session with one easier outdoor session each day:

Day	Workout 1 (indoor, 45 min)	Workout 2 (outdoor, 45 min)
Mon	Lower body strength: squat, RDL, lunges	Brisk walk
Tue	Upper body: bench, rows, pulldowns, presses	Japanese interval walking
Wed	Mobility and core on a mat	Easy bike or hike
Thu	Full body strength	Walk
Fri	Cable circuit (conditioning)	Easy run or walk
Sat	Lower body + glutes	Long walk or hike
Sun	Stretching and foam rolling	Easy walk

Rotating hard and easy sessions keeps you moving every day while giving muscles time to recover.

Why a home gym makes 75 Hard easier

Two 45-minute workouts a day is 90 minutes of training. Driving to a gym twice is often what breaks people's streaks. A home setup cuts out the commute:

• A cable power rack like the GXMMAT X6 covers barbell lifts, pull-ups, dips and cable work in one station, so you can vary workouts across 75 days without getting bored.
• A large exercise mat (see sizes) gives you space for HIIT, core and mobility on lighter days.
• Recovery tools: a foam roller helps with daily soreness.

Not sure which rack fits your space? See X6 vs V6 vs G5.

Tips to actually finish 75 days

• Do the outdoor workout early, before weather or work gets in the way.
• Pre-fill your water in marked bottles.
• Keep your book where you'll see it. 10 pages takes about 15 minutes.
• Plan easy days. Not every session has to be intense to count.
• Sleep 7–9 hours. It's not a rule, but it'll decide whether you make it.

FAQ

What are the 75 Hard rules?

For 75 days: follow a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, do two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of nonfiction and take a progress photo. Miss anything and you restart at Day 1.

Who created 75 Hard?

75 Hard was created by entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella, who describes it as a mental toughness program.

Can you do 75 Hard at home?

Yes. One workout must be outdoors, but the other can be done at home. A home gym makes two daily workouts much easier to fit in.

What is 75 Soft?

A gentler variation. A common version is one 45-minute workout a day with active recovery allowed, eating well, drinking alcohol only on social occasions, about 3 liters of water and reading 10 pages. Rules vary by source.

Is 75 Hard good for beginners?

It's very demanding for beginners because there are no rest days. Many people start with 75 Soft or make one daily workout an easy walk.

Written by Yuvien Royer for GXMMAT. 75 Hard is a program created by Andy Frisella; GXMMAT is not affiliated with it. This article is general fitness information, not medical advice.