What Are the 75 Hard and Soft Challenges?

Challenges have become a popular way to improve discipline, mental resilience, and physical fitness. Among the most talked-about programs are the 75 Hard Challenge and its more approachable counterpart, the 75 Soft Challenge. Both aim to develop consistency, dedication, and personal growth—but differ in intensity and flexibility.

The 75 Hard Challenge, created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella, is known for its strict rules and transformative results. Participants commit to 75 consecutive days of tasks that build mental toughness, discipline, and resilience. The Soft Challenge keeps the same focus on daily growth but with adjustments that make it easier to maintain and less overwhelming.

Why Are These Challenges So Popular?

The appeal of both challenges extends beyond physical fitness. They target three core human desires:

• Building discipline: Daily consistency strengthens habits that spill over into work, relationships, and personal goals.
• Boosting mental toughness: Facing and overcoming daily challenges reinforces resilience and confidence.
• Achieving tangible results: Participants see improvements in fitness, nutrition, or personal growth in measurable ways.

Social accountability also plays a role. Online groups, forums, and friends taking on the challenge together create motivation and support.

What Are the Rules of the 75 Hard Challenge?

The 75 Hard Challenge is strict and non-negotiable. For 75 consecutive days, participants must:

1. Follow a diet – Stick to a structured plan like keto, paleo, or a clean eating routine, with no cheat meals.
2. Exercise twice daily – Morning: 45-minute HIIT workout indoors; Evening: 45-minute brisk walk or run outdoors.
3. Drink one gallon of water – About 3.8 liters to stay fully hydrated (although the actual amount is different for each person)
4. Read 10 pages of non-fiction – Books on business, self-improvement, or leadership like Atomic Habits.
5. Take a daily progress photo – Track physical changes for accountability and motivation.

If you miss even one task, you must start over from day one, making consistency and planning essential.

How Does the 75 Soft Challenge Work?

The Soft Challenge keeps the same focus on consistency and personal growth but is designed to be more approachable. Instead of strict rules, it provides specific, actionable examples that participants can realistically commit to:

• Exercise once daily: A 30-minute jog, yoga session, or at-home bodyweight workout. Outdoor workouts are encouraged but optional.
• Follow a balanced nutrition plan: Eating whole foods, limiting processed snacks, or practicing mindful eating, but allowing occasional indulgences.
• Hydration goal: Drinking at least 2–3 liters of water per day instead of a full gallon.
• Daily reading or personal development: 5–10 pages of a book, listening to a 20-minute personal growth podcast, or journaling reflections.
• Optional progress photo or journaling: Take weekly photos or track measurements to monitor progress rather than daily snapshots.

By keeping these tasks realistic, the Soft Challenge allows participants to develop habits and consistency without risking burnout.

Who Should Try Each Challenge?

Choosing between Hard and Soft depends on your lifestyle and goals:

• 75 Hard Challenge: Ideal for those seeking extreme discipline and dramatic transformation. Best for people who thrive on structure and want to push physical and mental limits. Example: A busy professional aiming to transform fitness and productivity simultaneously.
• 75 Soft Challenge: Perfect for beginners, those with irregular schedules, or anyone seeking a habit-building foundation. Example: A student who wants to improve health and focus without disrupting their study routine.

Both emphasize that small, consistent actions compound into long-term results, making either version a valuable personal growth tool.

How to Prepare for the Challenges

Preparation increases the likelihood of completing the program successfully. Steps include:

1. Choose your challenge level: Be honest about your current habits and schedule.
2. Plan your schedule: Block time for exercise, meals, and reading or journaling. Example: Morning walk, midday meal prep, evening reading.
3. Gather resources: Workout gear, meal ingredients, books, or a journal.
4. Set up accountability: Share your goals with friends or join an online community.
5. Mentally prepare: Recognize that consistency is non-negotiable, especially for 75 Hard.

Using a structured planner, habit tracker or journal from our shop can help track your daily progress, reflections, and milestones.

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Tips for Success

• Track your progress: Use a planner or journal to log workouts, meals, and personal growth tasks.
• Incorporate recovery: Stretching, light yoga, or mobility work prevents injury.
• Celebrate milestones: Weekly check-ins or small rewards help maintain motivation.
• Stay adaptable: Soft Challenge participants can adjust routines while maintaining core habits.
• Focus on mindset: Accept discomfort as part of growth and reflect on improvements daily.

..So, Should You Try the 75 Hard or Soft Challenge?

Your choice depends on your goals, lifestyle, and capacity for commitment. If you thrive on structure and want a transformational experience, 75 Hard is for you. If you want to build consistency gradually, reduce stress, or prepare for a future Hard Challenge, 75 Soft is ideal.

Both teach that healthy daily actions compound into significant results. Whether improving fitness, mental resilience, or habits, dedicating 75 days to structured routines can provide clarity, confidence, and a sense of accomplishment that lasts long after the challenge ends.

For extra support, using journals and planners from our shop can help you track daily progress, reflect on growth, and stay motivated through either challenge.

Quiz: What Is Blocking Your Success?

This quick quiz will help you figure out which mental or behavioral pattern might be holding you back from achieving your full potential. Identifying your specific success blocker is the first step toward breaking through to new levels of achievement and fulfillment.

Read each question and choose the answer that feels most true to your situation.

No email or payment is required to complete the quiz and receive your personalized insights.

Once you have your primary success blocker, you have clarity about what’s been holding you back. This awareness is powerful—many people spend years struggling without understanding the specific pattern that’s limiting their progress.

Remember, these patterns aren’t permanent character traits but rather habitual ways of thinking and behaving that can be changed with the right guidance and practice.

If you’re ready to break through your specific blocker and achieve the success you know you’re capable of, send me an email to try out a coaching session. Your breakthrough awaits!