365 Consistent – I have never done 75 hard!
In 2019, Andy Frisella, created 75 hard. A 75 day ‘mental toughness’ program, as he calls it. The 75 Hard Challenge requires you to consistently follow five rules for 75 days: stick to a diet, perform two 45-minute workouts (one outside), drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of a non-fiction book, and take a daily progress picture.
Oh, and if you miss any of those, you need to go back to day 1…
The challenge was created after Andy interviewed Iron Cowboy, the man who has done multiple multi-Ironman distance challenges. He wanted to build his own mental toughness and needed to create some parameters to stay disciplined – 75 Hard was born.
As someone who is in the fitness industry and loves a good challenge, naturally I looked into this, but I have never done it.
I see the 75 hard challenge as a transformative process. I see it being great for someone who needs a real kick up the a** to get themselves into shape. A program for someone who needs those checklists everyday to have something to work towards and hopefully over those couple of months, becomes a person who can hold themself accountable.
If that is you – head to the website, read the FAQs and follow it exactly as it says – I’m sure you’ll come out better on the other side.
For me, I’ve trained since I first stepped into a gym at 14 years old. I spent years training 2-3x per day in the pursuit of competing in the CrossFit Games and I train 6 days per week most weeks now. I have not seen the need for the 75 hard program in my life up to this point.
I believe in 365 consistent – that’s every day making deposits into your fitness bank account. That’s every day being intentional in what you put in your body, staying away from toxic substances. That’s every day, making things like hydration, sleep and learning a priority.
365 consistent, in my opinion, can be harder than 75 Hard. 75 Hard has clear guidelines and it has an end date – most people celebrate completion by doing things they’ve been trying to avoid (like eat crappy food or drink alcohol).
What does my 365 consistent look like?
- Train everyday – if I feel like I need a rest, take it – never two days in a row without a workout and minimum 5x week (even through sickness, just reduce intensity)
- 10,000 steps every single day
- Eat three protein packed meals
- Drink water all day
- Bed by 9 ideally but 10pm latest
- Wake before the sun
It’s a simple list that I don’t need to ‘check off’ each day – they happen naturally based on habits that have been built over the years. Consistency is what helps you build fitness & health year over year. You could do 75 hard in January but be in a worse place by the end of the same year if you fall off the wagon after. 365 consistent will have you progressing year over year.
Like I said, if you need that kick – 75 hard might be for you. If you’re ready for the long game, build the habits that allow you to be 365 consistent. You can build the list – you may start with training 3x week. That’s great, just do something everyday that helps you build fitness, get healthier and stay away from things that do the opposite.
