Over the past few years, 75 Hard has shifted from a niche internet challenge to a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella, the programme is billed not as a fitness plan, but as a ‘mental toughness’ challenge – 75 days of strict, non-negotiable daily disciplines designed to build resilience, self-belief and follow-through.

There’s no prize. No aesthetic guarantee. Miss one task and you start again from day one.

In the run-up to shooting his Men’s Health cover, Paddy McGuinness committed to the full 75 days. He’s far from alone – a growing number of entrepreneurs, athletes and online creators have publicly documented their attempts, often citing improved discipline and self-confidence as the biggest wins.

But is 75 Hard smart? Sustainable? Evidence-based? Or simply an exercise in attrition?

We break down each rule – what it is, why it exists and where Men’s Health stands. Plus, the rule we’d add…

1. Follow a Diet

The Rule

Choose any diet and stick to it for 75 days. No cheat meals. No alcohol.

The diet itself is flexible. Frisella doesn’t prescribe one – whether that’s keto, calorie counting, intermittent fasting or high-protein, low-carb – but adherence is absolute. He frames the rule as a test of integrity: can you keep promises to yourself when no one’s watching?

MH Says

This seems to be the rule that attracts the most criticism. What’s interesting, though, is that it doesn’t actually prescribe a diet. Phrases such as ‘cheat meals’, however, are often viewed as a red flag.

Research consistently shows that dietary adherence – not the specific macro split – is the strongest predictor of fat-loss success. Removing alcohol alone can significantly reduce weekly calorie intake while improving sleep quality and recovery.

That said, rigid restriction can backfire. All-or-nothing rules increase the risk of binge-restrict cycles, particularly in people with a history of disordered eating. Our tweak? Keep the ‘no alcohol’ rule if body composition or recovery is your goal, but create your own bespoke set of dietary rules – or ‘creative constraints’ – that feel sustainable.

Seventy-five days isn’t forever, but it is a long time. If you’re using the challenge to build better habits, make sure they’re habits you actually want to keep.

Aim to include a good serving of protein at every meal alongside fruit or vegetables. Eat to fuel activity, experimenting with carbohydrates and fats to maintain steady energy levels and mood. Sit down without distractions where possible, chew slowly and enjoy your meals. These ‘rules’ will take you further than any fad diet.

Can you pick an arbitrary dietary constraint such as fasting, calorie counting or cutting carbs? Sure. Should you? Not if you don’t think it’s sustainable.

If you’re going to change anything about your nutrition over the next 75 days, make it this: pay attention. Often, that’s all it takes.

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2. Two 45-Minute Workouts per Day (One Outdoors)

The Rule

Complete two 45-minute workouts every day, at least three hours apart. One must be outdoors – rain or shine. No substitutions. No doubling up.

Frisella’s intention is clear: inconvenience builds grit. You shouldn’t only train when it’s convenient; you should train when it’s uncomfortable.

MH Says

Moving twice a day will undoubtedly increase energy expenditure, improve cardiovascular fitness and, with sensible programming, help build strength. Outdoor exercise also brings additional benefits – daylight supports circadian rhythm, mood and sleep quality.

But random volume without intelligent programming can quickly lead to overuse injuries. Research consistently shows that rapid spikes in training load are strongly associated with soft-tissue injuries. For previously sedentary people, 14 sessions a week represents a huge jump.

Our modification? Keep the outdoor rule – we like it. But vary the intensity. Think one primary workout (strength or conditioning) alongside one lower-intensity walk, mobility session or Zone 2 workout. That allows you to manage training volume across the week and recover properly between sessions.

Remember, you won’t complete 75 Hard if you get injured. The real flex isn’t training hard today – it’s being able to train again tomorrow.

3. Drink a Gallon of Water per Day

The Rule

Drink one US gallon (around 3.7 litres) of water every day. No excuses.

The rationale: hydration supports performance, cognition and discipline.

MH Says

Hydration matters. Even mild dehydration (around 2% bodyweight loss) can impair cognitive performance and endurance.

For larger, active people, 3–4 litres per day isn’t unreasonable.

However, hydration needs vary. Drinking more than you need can dilute sodium levels (hyponatraemia), particularly in smaller individuals or those exercising in cooler conditions.

Rather than prescribing a blanket gallon, we’d rather focus on outcomes: pale straw-coloured urine, stable energy and no persistent thirst. Add electrolytes if you’re sweating heavily. Around 40–50ml of water per kilogram of bodyweight is a more individualised starting point.

One habit we’d also add? Drink 300-500ml every time you eat. Stack that alongside your protein and fibre goals for a simple hydration upgrade.

4. Read 10 Pages of Non-Fiction Daily

The Rule

Read 10 pages of a non-fiction, self-development or educational book every day. Audiobooks don’t count.

Frisella positions this as sharpening the mind alongside the body.

MH Says

This is arguably the least controversial rule. Reading daily has been linked with improved cognitive resilience, reduced stress and better long-term brain health. Ten pages may not sound like much, but over 75 days it adds up to 750 pages.

We’d broaden the scope slightly. Self-development books are valuable, but biography, psychology, philosophy and well-researched narrative non-fiction all have plenty to teach.

5. Take a Progress Photo Every Day

The Rule

Take a progress photo every day. No skipping.

The aim isn’t vanity, according to Frisella, but accountability – visual proof of change over time.

MH Says

Objective tracking improves adherence. Behavioural psychology suggests visible feedback loops reinforce consistency. Daily photos can reveal subtle changes the scales often miss.

However, for some people, hyper-fixation on aesthetics can fuel unhealthy comparison or body dysmorphia, particularly in the social media era.

Our view? Take the photo, but keep it private. Pair visual tracking with performance metrics such as strength gains, resting heart rate or running times. A body that performs better is often a better north star than one that simply looks leaner.

If daily photos begin affecting your mood – perhaps you find yourself repeatedly analysing or retaking them – it may be a sign they’re doing more harm than good. In that case, pause the photos (and even the challenge) and consider speaking to a healthcare professional.

6. The Rule we’d Add: Keep a Journal

All the improvements in strength, stamina, body composition and discipline in the world aren’t worth much if your quality of life deteriorates. If you’re miserable to be around, constantly fatigued and your mood is suffering, you’re missing the point.

This is supposed to be self-improvement, not self-destruction.

But it can be difficult to spot which habits are helping and which are quietly working against you. That’s where journalling comes in.

Spending just a few minutes each day writing down how you trained, slept, felt and what you struggled with creates a simple feedback loop that improves self-awareness.

Research on expressive writing suggests journalling may reduce stress, clarify goals and reinforce positive behaviour change. Over 75 days, those notes become a record of progress – not just physically, but mentally too. It’s also a chance to spot warning signs early, whether that’s fatigue, poor sleep or declining mood.

Think of it as an evening debrief that helps turn daily discipline into a life actually worth living.

75 Hard works largely because it’s uncompromising. It forces routine, removing flexibility and wiggle room. That’s also why, for many people, it doesn’t work. What doesn’t bend eventually breaks.

Neither mental nor physical toughness is built through extremity alone. They’re built through consistency, intelligent training and habits you can sustain long after 75 days have passed.

Treat 75 Hard as a reset or an experiment and it can become a catalyst for better habits – while also revealing which of your current ones are no longer serving you.

Just remember: the goal isn’t surviving 75 days. It’s becoming the kind of person who no longer needs a special challenge to live a healthy, disciplined life.

With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.    

As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.   

Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.   

 You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.