75 Hard: Mental Toughness Challenge or Just Suffering For Views?

75 Hard is blowing up on TikTok and Instagram right now.

Everyone's posting progress photos, documenting their two-a-day workouts, and flexing their mental toughness.

The challenge is simple but brutal: for 75 days straight, you must:

• Do two 45-minute workouts per day (one must be outdoors)
• Follow a diet (any diet, no alcohol, no cheat meals)
• Drink a gallon of water
• Read 10 pages of non-fiction
• Take a daily progress photo

Miss one thing? You start over at day 1.

It's designed to build mental toughness, discipline, and resilience. And for some people, it works.

But after 13+ years of training clients, I've got some thoughts on this challenge—and they're not all positive.

What 75 Hard Gets Right

Let's start with the good. Because there are real benefits to this program.

1. It Builds Discipline

Doing hard things every day for 75 days straight will absolutely build mental toughness.

You'll learn to show up even when you don't feel like it. You'll push through discomfort. You'll prove to yourself that you can follow through on commitments.

That's valuable.

2. It Creates Non-Negotiable Habits

The "no excuses" rule forces you to prioritize your health. No more "I'm too busy" or "I'll start tomorrow."

For people who've been stuck in procrastination, this can be a game-changer.

3. It Removes Decision Fatigue

You don't have to think about whether you're going to work out today or whether you're going to stick to your diet. The answer is always yes.

That clarity can be powerful.

4. The Reading Component Is Underrated

10 pages a day doesn't sound like much, but over 75 days, that's 750 pages—about 2-3 books.

Most people don't read at all. This alone is a win.

5. It Proves You're Capable

Finishing 75 Hard gives you confidence. You did something most people can't or won't do.

That mental win carries over into other areas of your life.

What 75 Hard Gets Wrong

Now let's talk about the problems. Because there are plenty.

1. It's Not Sustainable

75 days of two workouts per day is fine for a challenge. But it's not a lifestyle.

What happens on day 76? Most people crash. They burn out. They go back to their old habits because they were never taught how to maintain a sustainable routine.

75 Hard teaches you to suffer, not to live well.

2. It's Designed to Fail

The "start over at day 1" rule is brutal. And it's intentional.

Creator Andy Frisella says this is about mental toughness, not fitness. But here's the thing: mental toughness doesn't require starting over every time you miss a workout.

In real life, you don't restart your career every time you have a bad day. You just show up the next day and keep going.

This rule creates unnecessary stress and sets people up for failure.

3. Two Workouts a Day Is Overkill for Most People

If you're an athlete or someone who thrives on high volume, fine. But for the average person, two 45-minute workouts per day is excessive.

That's 10.5 hours of exercise per week—on top of work, family, and life.

Most people don't need that much. And doing it for 75 days straight increases your risk of overtraining, injury, and burnout.

4. It Ignores Recovery

There's no built-in rest or deload. You just go hard every single day for 75 days.

That's not how the body works. You grow when you rest, not when you're constantly beating yourself up.

For some people, this challenge will wreck their hormones, tank their performance, and leave them worse off than when they started.

5. It Can Become an Obsession

I've seen people skip family events, cancel plans, and stress out over missing a workout because they don't want to restart.

At that point, it's not about discipline—it's about control and rigidity.

Life doesn't stop for a challenge. And if you can't adapt, you're not mentally tough—you're just inflexible.

6. It's Performative

Let's be real: half the people doing 75 Hard are doing it for the content.

They're documenting every workout, every meal, every gallon of water—because it gets engagement.

There's nothing wrong with sharing your journey. But when the challenge becomes more about the Instagram story than the actual growth, you've missed the point.

Who Should Do 75 Hard?

Despite my criticisms, I don't think 75 Hard is all bad. For certain people, it can be exactly what they need.

You might benefit from 75 Hard if:

• You've been stuck in procrastination and need a hard reset
• You're disciplined enough to modify it to fit your life (more on this below)
• You thrive on extreme challenges and have the time/energy to commit
• You're physically healthy with no injury history
• You're doing it for yourself, not for social media validation

Who Shouldn't Do 75 Hard?

Don't do 75 Hard if:

• You have a history of injuries (two workouts per day = higher injury risk)
• You're new to fitness (you'll burn out)
• You have demanding work/family obligations (it's not worth the stress)
• You have any history of disordered eating or exercise addiction
• You're looking for sustainable lifestyle change (this isn't it)

A Better Approach: 75 Sustainable

If you like the idea of 75 Hard but want something more sustainable, try this instead:

75 Sustainable Rules:

• Exercise: One workout per day, 45-60 minutes, 6 days per week (1 rest day)
• Nutrition: Follow a balanced diet, 1 cheat meal per week allowed
• Hydration: Drink half your body weight in ounces (not a gallon for everyone)
• Reading: 10 pages of non-fiction per day
• Progress Photo: Once per week (daily is overkill)
• Flexibility: If you miss a day, just keep going—don't restart

This version builds discipline without burnout. It teaches you to live well long-term, not just suffer for 75 days.

The Real Goal: Building a Lifestyle

Here's what frustrates me about 75 Hard: it's a sprint, not a marathon.

You don't need to suffer for 75 days to prove you're disciplined. You need to build habits that last for years.

Real discipline is showing up consistently—even when it's boring, even when no one's watching, even when you're not posting it online.

Real discipline is training 3-5 days per week for the next decade, not burning yourself out for 75 days and quitting.

Real discipline is eating well most of the time and enjoying life without guilt, not white-knuckling through a diet for 2.5 months.

The Bottom Line

75 Hard works—if you're the right person with the right mindset.

It can build mental toughness, create non-negotiable habits, and give you a confidence boost.

But for most people, it's overkill. It's unsustainable. And it teaches you to grind through discomfort instead of building a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

If you want to do it, go for it. Just don't confuse suffering for 75 days with building lasting change.

Because the real challenge isn't surviving 75 days. It's staying consistent for the rest of your life.

CJ Critney is a personal trainer and owner of FYTS Fitness in Westlake Village, California, with 13+ years of experience transforming clients through science-backed training and faith-driven discipline.