75 Hard vs 75 Soft: Which Challenge Is Right for You?

You’ve seen the before-and-after photos. You’ve scrolled past the TikToks. Now you’re trying to figure out which 75-day challenge to actually commit to.

75 Hard and 75 Soft share a name and a timeframe, but doing them feels very different. One demands two daily workouts with zero rest days. The other lets you take a recovery day each week and won’t punish you for slipping up. Same concept, very different execution.

This guide breaks down the rules, risks, and benefits of each program so you can decide before Day 1.

What is 75 Hard?

75 Hard was created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella in 2019. He’s been clear that it’s not a fitness challenge or a diet plan. He calls it a “mental toughness program,” and the rules reflect that. The point isn’t optimization. It’s discipline.

Here are the five daily rules, all of which must be completed every single day for 75 consecutive days:

1. Follow a structured diet with zero cheat meals and zero alcohol. You choose the diet, but it has to be goal-oriented.
2. Complete two 45-minute workouts, at least 3 hours apart. One must be outdoors, rain or shine.
3. Drink one gallon (3.8 liters) of water.
4. Read 10 pages of a nonfiction or self-development book. It has to be a physical book. Audiobooks don’t count.
5. Take a daily progress photo.

And here’s the rule that makes 75 Hard what it is: if you miss any single task on any day, you restart from Day 1. Even if you’re on Day 74. No exceptions.

That restart rule is the core of the program. Frisella argues that discipline means doing all of it, every day, with no negotiation. It’s also the part that draws the most criticism from health professionals, which we’ll get into below.

What is 75 Soft?

75 Soft was created by Irish fitness coach Stephen Gallagher (@stephengfitness on TikTok) in April 2021. His original video explaining the concept has been viewed over 2.5 million times.

Gallagher designed 75 Soft as a more realistic alternative for people who wanted the structure of a 75-day challenge without the all-or-nothing intensity. The rules:

1. Eat well and avoid alcohol, except for social occasions.
2. Exercise for 45 minutes per day, with one active recovery day per week (walking, yoga, stretching).
3. Drink 3 liters of water daily.
4. Read 10 pages of any book. Fiction counts.

Some versions of 75 Soft also include a daily 5-minute meditation. This wasn’t in Gallagher’s original video, but it’s been widely adopted.

Want to try 75 Soft right now? Our free 75 Soft tracker lets you log all five tasks in your browser — no app required.

The biggest structural difference? There’s no restart penalty. If you miss a day, you pick up where you left off. The focus is on building consistency rather than testing your willpower under extreme conditions.

75 Hard vs 75 Soft: key differences at a glance

Here’s the full comparison, side by side:

Aspect	75 Hard	75 Soft
Daily workouts	Two 45-min sessions (one outdoor)	One 45-min session
Rest days	None	One active recovery day per week
Diet	Strict plan, zero cheats, zero alcohol	Eat well, social drinking OK
Water intake	1 gallon / 3.8 liters	3 liters
Reading	10 pages nonfiction, physical book only	10 pages of any book
Progress photos	Required daily	Not required
Miss a day	Restart from Day 1	Continue, no penalty
Meditation	Not included	Some versions include 5 min/day
Creator	Andy Frisella (2019)	Stephen Gallagher (2021)

The two programs share DNA. Both ask you to exercise, eat better, hydrate, and read daily for 75 days. But the intensity gap is wide. 75 Hard requires roughly 90 minutes of exercise per day with no rest, while 75 Soft asks for 45 minutes with built-in recovery time.

Benefits and risks of each challenge

75 Hard benefits

Completing all five tasks every day for 75 days builds real discipline, and the physical results tend to follow. The daily progress photos make the change obvious in a way that stepping on a scale doesn’t.

The rigid structure also removes decision fatigue. You don’t debate whether to work out today or whether one glass of wine counts as “cheating.” The rules are binary. You just do it. Twice.

The outdoor workout requirement is easy to underestimate. It forces you outside regardless of weather, which breaks the monotony of gym-only routines and gets you sunlight and fresh air. Both affect mood and sleep quality.

75 Hard risks

Health professionals have been increasingly vocal about the downsides.

Dr. Matthew Sacco, a sports performance psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, warns that two 45-minute workouts per day “may be overly taxing for some people, especially if you’re just starting a workout routine.” He also points out that required daily progress photos “could fuel self-esteem and body-image issues.” His overall assessment: “there’s little to no scientific evidence that the program is beneficial.”

A March 2026 CNN article warned that the challenge’s strict approach “can contribute to binge eating, disordered eating patterns, negative body image and negative self-talk,” according to clinical dietitian Bethany Doerfler. Fitness contributor Dana Santas added that forcing a restart after one deviation “can reinforce a cycle of perceived failure rather than building durable behavior changes.”

Penn State Health experts caution that the rigid, all-or-nothing restart rule may actually undermine long-term behavior change. When someone restarts on Day 60 because they forgot a progress photo, the psychological damage can outweigh whatever discipline they built.

There’s also the water issue. A gallon of water per day is fine for many active adults, but it’s not appropriate for everyone. People with smaller body mass or certain medical conditions risk electrolyte imbalances.

If you still want the strict approach, our free 75 Tough tracker lets you track all six daily tasks in your browser with automatic restart enforcement.

75 Soft benefits

The biggest advantage is sustainability. Kim Yawitz, a registered dietitian at Two Six Fitness, recommends 75 Soft for most people. She cites research on the “intention-behavior gap,” which shows that behavior change sticks best when the target isn’t drastically far from your current habits.

One workout per day with a weekly recovery day is a routine most people can maintain beyond 75 days. That matters, because habits that don’t survive the end of the challenge weren’t really habits.

The reading rule is also more relaxed. Any book counts, not just nonfiction. If fiction is what gets you reading 10 pages a night, that’s a win. The habit itself matters more than the genre.

75 Soft also allows social drinking on occasion, which makes it easier to live your normal life while doing the challenge. You can attend a friend’s birthday dinner without “failing.” For many people, this small amount of flexibility is the difference between finishing and quitting.

75 Soft risks

The flip side of flexibility is less accountability. Without a restart penalty, some people find it too easy to let a missed day slide into a missed week. The lower intensity may also not push people who are already active enough to see meaningful change.

If you’re the type who responds well to gentle structure, 75 Soft works. If you need the pressure of consequences to stay on track, it might not be enough.

Which challenge should you choose?

Ask yourself a few honest questions.

Choose 75 Hard if:

• You already exercise regularly (4+ days per week) and want to push your limits.
• You have the schedule flexibility for two daily workouts plus meal prep.
• You’ve completed structured challenges before and know how your body responds to high training volume.
• You’re mentally in a good place and won’t spiral from a restart.
• Your primary goal is building mental toughness and proving something to yourself.

Choose 75 Soft if:

• You’re building a fitness habit from scratch or returning after a long break.
• You have a demanding work or family schedule that makes two daily workouts unrealistic.
• You’ve struggled with all-or-nothing thinking around diet and exercise in the past.
• You want lasting habit change over a dramatic short-term transformation.
• You’d rather finish at 90% than restart repeatedly and quit.

Consider a custom challenge if:

Neither program fits perfectly. Maybe you want 75 Hard’s strict diet rules but only one workout per day. Or you like 75 Soft’s recovery days but want the restart penalty to keep yourself honest.

There’s no rule that says you have to follow either program exactly as written. Plenty of people mix and match. “75 Medium” has its own following on TikTok, and you’ll find dozens of custom rule sets in Reddit threads.

You could also adjust the duration. Not everyone needs 75 days to build a habit. A 30-day challenge with strict rules might work better for you than 75 days of moderate effort. Use our 75-day challenge calculator to plan your start and end dates for any duration.

A completed 75 Soft beats an abandoned 75 Hard every time.

Build your own challenge in Reset75 — pick your tasks, set strict restarts or forgiving mode, and start tracking on Day 1. Download Reset75 →

Tips for succeeding at either challenge

A few things help no matter which version you pick.

Plan before Day 1

Don’t start on a whim. Spend a few days meal prepping, scheduling your workouts, and picking your book. The first week should feel boring because everything is already decided.

Track every day

Keeping five or six daily tasks in your head for 75 days is a recipe for missed items. Use a dedicated tracker rather than relying on memory or scattered notes. An app like Reset75 is built specifically for this, with daily checklists, progress photos, and streak tracking for both strict and forgiving modes. Not sure which app to use? See our roundup of the best 75-day challenge apps.

Tell someone

Tell a friend, post about it, or find a community doing the same challenge. Public commitment makes it harder to quietly quit on Day 23.

Be honest with yourself

If you’re modifying rules mid-challenge, own it. Adjusting because of a legitimate injury is smart. Adjusting because you don’t feel like going outside in the rain is not. Know the difference.

Think beyond Day 75

The challenge ends, but your habits shouldn’t. Before you start, think about what your routine looks like on Day 76. The point is to build a lifestyle, not to white-knuckle through 75 days and then collapse on the couch with a pizza.

Kim Yawitz warns that short-term restrictive challenges often produce yo-yo patterns. People hit Day 75, celebrate by abandoning every habit they built, and end up back at square one within a month. Plan the transition back to normal life too. Look at your statistics and streaks from the challenge period and figure out which habits you want to keep permanently.

Frequently asked questions

What are the official rules of 75 Hard?

Five daily tasks for 75 consecutive days: follow a structured diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, complete two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of nonfiction (physical book), and take a progress photo. Miss any task and you restart from Day 1.

What are the rules of 75 Soft?

Four daily tasks for 75 days: eat well and limit alcohol to social occasions, exercise for 45 minutes (one active recovery day per week), drink 3 liters of water, and read 10 pages of any book. Some versions include 5 minutes of daily meditation. No restart penalty for missed days.

Who created 75 Hard and 75 Soft?

Andy Frisella, an entrepreneur and podcast host, created 75 Hard in 2019. Stephen Gallagher, an Irish fitness coach, created 75 Soft in 2021 as a more accessible alternative.

Is 75 Soft easier than 75 Hard?

Yes. 75 Soft requires one workout instead of two, includes a weekly rest day, allows social drinking, accepts fiction books, and doesn’t penalize you for missed days. It’s designed to be challenging but sustainable.

Can you lose weight doing 75 Hard or 75 Soft?

Both programs can lead to weight loss because of consistent exercise and improved eating habits. But neither is specifically a weight-loss program. Your results depend on which diet you follow, your starting point, and how consistently you stick with it.

Is 75 Hard safe?

For active, healthy adults, it can be done safely with proper planning. But health experts at the Cleveland Clinic and CNN have raised concerns about overuse injuries, electrolyte imbalances from excessive water, and psychological harm from the restart rule. Talk to your doctor before starting, especially if you’re new to regular exercise.

What happens if you miss a day on 75 Hard?

You go back to Day 1. It doesn’t matter if you’re on Day 5 or Day 74. This is the defining feature of the program, and it’s intentional. On 75 Soft, there’s no penalty. You simply continue from where you are.

Can you do a modified version of 75 Hard?

Many people create custom challenges that mix rules from both programs. You might keep the strict diet and reading requirements but drop to one workout per day, or add rest days while keeping the restart penalty. The goal is a challenge that pushes you without breaking you.