Why 75 Hard Became the Internet’s Favorite Challenge for Mental Toughness
1. Why Is Everyone Talking About 75 Hard?
It’s hard to scroll through TikTok or YouTube Shorts these days without seeing someone holding a gallon of water, snapping a daily progress photo, or logging their outdoor workout. The hashtag #75Hard has racked up hundreds of millions of views. And it’s not just about fitness. It’s about grit.
So what is it about this challenge that’s made it spread like wildfire? Why are thousands of people pushing themselves through something so... well, hard?
Let’s back up.
2. Who Created 75 Hard—and Why?
75 Hard wasn’t created by a fitness guru. It came from Andy Frisella, an entrepreneur and podcaster who saw people struggling—not with workouts, but with keeping promises to themselves.
Frisella wanted to design a program that wasn’t about getting ripped or going viral. It was about building discipline. Mental resilience. The ability to do what you said you’d do, even when you didn’t feel like it.
And he knew that meant structure. Simplicity. Zero negotiation.
The rules of 75 Hard are famously strict:
Two workouts a day (one must be outdoors)
Follow a diet with zero cheat meals
No alcohol
Read 10 pages of nonfiction
Drink a gallon of water
Take a daily progress photo
Miss one thing? You start over from day one.
3. Why 75 Days?
Why not 30? Or 100?
Well, there’s a bit of psychology behind it. You might’ve heard that it takes 21 days to form a habit. That’s outdated.
More recent studies, like those by Dr. Phillippa Lally at UCL, suggest it actually takes closer to 66 days for a behavior to become automatic. Frisella likely chose 75 not just for roundness, but to push people past the "honeymoon phase" and through discomfort.
The final stretch of 75 isn’t just about momentum. It’s about proving to yourself that your identity has shifted.
In behavioral science, we talk a lot about identity-based habits. The idea is that you’re more likely to sustain change when you start to think, “This is just what I do.” Not because you have to. But because it’s who you are now.
4. Why Do So Many People Want to Do It?
We live in a world where everything is negotiable—deadlines, routines, diets, even self-care. 75 Hard feels radical because it removes negotiation.
The rules are clear. The structure is fixed. And the bar? It doesn’t lower itself just because your day got busy.
That kind of rigidity is exactly what many people crave when life feels chaotic. There’s also a deep psychological payoff: completing something hard feels incredible. Documenting it feels even better. Sharing that success? It reinforces identity.
For some, 75 Hard becomes less of a program and more of a personal revolution.
5. Where to Go from Here
75 Hard isn’t for everyone. And it doesn’t need to be. But if the idea of building a better version of yourself through small, consistent, difficult choices resonates with you—you might want to give it a closer look.
In the next article, I’ll walk you through how to actually get started, plus what to expect in those first few messy, motivation-free days.
Because starting is the easy part. The real story begins after that.
