75 Hard: What are the rules of the fitness challenge and would it make a good New Year's resolution?
After weeks of indulging in festive food and drink, people are challenging themselves to stick to the programme's strict rules, which include following a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, completing two 45-minute workouts and reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book each day.
Wednesday 8 January 2025 15:28, UK
Some people looking for a tough fitness regime to embark on for their New Year's resolutions have decided to commit to the 75 Hard challenge.
After weeks of indulging in festive food and drink, they are challenging themselves to stick to the strict rules, which include following a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, completing two 45-minute workouts and reading 10 pages of a non-fiction book each day.
The challenge was created by podcaster and author Andy Frisella in 2019 but has seen a burst of interest around the beginning of the new year.
Here, Sky News looks at the rules of the 75 Hard fitness programme, what benefits it may have and also outlines a less strict alternative.
What are the rules?
The 75 Hard challenge has five strict rules people are told to follow for 75 days.
"This is not a fitness challenge," Mr Frisella says on his website. "75 Hard is a transformative mental toughness programme."
Here are the "critical tasks" or rules of the challenge...
1. Follow a diet plan
Those taking on the challenge are told to follow a diet plan for 75 days, without having any alcohol or cheat meals.
No particular diet is specified, so it could be keto, paleo or vegetarian, but must align with your goals.
"This task is meant to cultivate extreme discipline that you can transfer to all areas of your life," Mr Frisella says.
2. Do two 45-minute workouts a day
People are also urged to do two 45-minute workouts each day, one of which must take place outside - regardless of the weather.
One session could be weight lifting while the other could be an outdoor run or walk.
"The type of workout doesn't matter," Mr Frisella says. "You can run, lift weights, do a cross-training workout, go for a walk, or even do yoga. As long as you're getting up and getting your body moving with the intent to get better, it counts."
The rules here are strict, with anyone failing to do two 45-minute workouts a day told to restart the 75 Hard challenge from day one.
3. Drink a gallon of water a day
Drinking a gallon of water (3.79 litres) per day is another part of the challenge.
Mr Frisella urges those taking part to drink water consistently throughout the day rather than chugging several glasses before bed.
4. Read 10 pages a day
As well as the diet and workout challenges, those taking part in 75 Hard are also told to read at least 10 pages of a non-fiction book a day.
It must be a self-improvement book and could be about personal development, finances or entrepreneurship. Audiobooks do not count.
Mr Frisella says: "I've been reading every day for the last 21 years and had I been reading at least 10 pages [per] day before that, I would without a doubt be further ahead in life than I am right now."
5. Take a daily progress picture
To measure their progress those taking on the challenge are told to take a daily progress picture.
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What are the benefits?
Those who have completed the 75 Hard challenge will have stuck to a strict diet, worked out for 90 minutes a day and read at least 750 pages of nonfiction.
They will likely see the benefits of weight loss, improved fitness and a new reading habit.
Online personal trainer Scott Laidler told Sky News: "It's important to frame the 75 Hard challenge as a mental toughness programme rooted in health and exercise practice, it's unforgiving in nature and will call upon a heroic effort to complete, so it's not for everyone."
He said the challenge is "fairly self-selecting", with those likely to be put off by its stringent rules dismissing it quickly compared to others who see "the sacrifice is the appeal, not the results".
He added: "In my view, a challenge like this is going to fit a 20-something looking to build a reputation with themselves for coming through hardship, or perhaps someone in their 40s or 50s who has just come through a period of hardship or change and is looking to redefine themselves.
"The best exercise programme is the one you will complete, and the best workout is the one you are eating and sleeping well enough to recover from."
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What are the alternatives?
While the challenge will likely bring many benefits, its strict rules are likely to put some people off.
Instead, they have been adapting the challenge to better fit around their busy lifestyles and adopting less strict rules.
The 75 Soft challenge changes the rules slightly, keeping the water intake and reading targets, but with 45 minutes of exercise a day with a day of active recovery each week.
People are encouraged to stick to a diet but are allowed to drink alcohol or cheat meals with friends.