By Hannah Hollingsworth

We live in a world of fad diets and often bear witness to new meal plans and exercise methods that promise to keep extra weight off for good with minimal effort. 75 Hard is a plan that turns that concept entirely on its head. It doesn’t masquerade as a fat loss program or an easy ride but
defines itself as a mental toughness tool that will transform your life. Though there are benefits to be reaped with 75 Hard, experts have also weighed in about potential downsides.

What Is 75 Hard?
75 Hard was introduced in 2019 by the entrepreneur and CEO of Phorm, a multimillion-dollar fitness supplement company, Andy Frisella. Frisella is known for being a self-taught fitness and nutrition enthusiast. He notably doesn’t hold any degrees or formal education in the field.

75 Hard has been called a boot camp for your brain. The rules are simple, and the promised benefits claim to transform your life.
They include:
» More confidence in your everyday life
» More mental toughness and grit
» Improving self-esteem
» Improve your time management skills and make you focus on things that matter
» Making strides in your career
» Improving your interpersonal relationships
» Being in the best shape of your life
» Gaining self-awareness and taking control of your life
» The plan claims to completely transform the way you view yourself.

The Rules
The rules are relatively straightforward:
» Complete two workouts every day, each lasting 45 minutes. One of those workouts has to be outside.
» Follow any diet that is tailored to your goals. Zero cheat meals and zero alcohol are allowed for the entire 75 days.
» Read ten pages of a self-improvement book every day.
» Drink a gallon of water daily.
» Take a progress picture every day.

And if you don’t perform one of these tasks during the day? Start back at day 1. 75 hard relies on the consistent performance of these tasks to create mental toughness and confidence when achieving the goal is finally achieved.

Pros and Cons of 75 Hard
75 hard wasn’t given that name because it’s a walk in the park. It’s designed to challenge and push you to the brink, both physically and mentally. Weighing the pros and cons might be beneficial when deciding if it’s right for you.
Pros:
» Weight loss. Performing a cumulative 1.5 hours of exercise each day and following a somewhat healthy diet should result in some fat loss. Chug a gallon of water, and you’ll be plenty hydrated.
» Gain more knowledge and awareness through self-help books. Reading ten pages of a self-improvement book per day means there are 750 pages of knowledge to sift through. That information could help you change the way you operate and inspire some positive changes in your life.
» Self-discipline. You don’t get a trophy for completing 75 Hard, but you might notice some changes when it comes to your self-control and discipline. If you form these habits while doing the program, there’s a good chance they could carry on into your life after you’ve finished.
Cons:
» Lack of specification. The rules are simple, but that also leaves lots of room for interpretation. The instructions are to follow any diet, but is that specific diet and calories what your body needs to undertake intense workouts? 75 Hard also calls for 45 minutes of exercise twice a day without specifying what kind. These could be sorted out with the help of licensed dieticians or personal trainers, but those who are leaning toward going it alone could be prone to injury during exercise or could lack important nutrients in their diet.
» Lack of flexibility. Some areas of 75 Hard lack specification, while others are extremely rigid. If you fail to perform all five tasks every day, the clock goes back to day one. That leaves little room for things like family and life in general.
Things to Consider Before Starting
If you’re looking to reap the promised benefits of 75 Hard, it’s best to start at a time when there are no foreseeable disruptions in the future that could compromise your routine. Consider consulting trained professionals to guide you through a diet and exercise program.