XP TRACKER75 Hard rules: what they are and a gentler way to do it
75 Hard asks you to do five things every day for 75 days in a row: follow a diet with no alcohol, do two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of non-fiction and take a progress photo. Miss anything and you start again at day one. The daily structure is useful; the restart rule and the volume aren't right for everyone.
Short answer: 75 Hard is 75 days in a row of five daily tasks: a diet of your choice with no cheat meals or alcohol, two 45-minute workouts with one outdoors, a gallon of water, 10 pages of non-fiction and a daily progress photo. If you miss any task, you restart at day one. A clear daily checklist is its strength; the no-rest, restart-from-zero design is its weak point.
Andy Frisella, an entrepreneur and podcaster, introduced 75 Hard in 2019. He describes it as a mental toughness programme rather than a fitness plan. The idea is to prove to yourself that you can keep a promise every day, no matter what.
It became popular because the rules are short and clear, and because "day 43 of 75" makes a good video. This page sets out the rules as they're usually stated, what's useful about them, where they go too far, and a version you can keep up.
This is habit advice, not medical advice. Before big changes to diet, exercise or water intake, check with a doctor, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating.
The 75 Hard rules
- Follow a dietAny diet you choose, aimed at your goal. No cheat meals and no alcohol for the 75 days.
- Two 45-minute workouts a dayOne of them must be outdoors, whatever the weather.
- Drink a gallon of waterThat's about 3.8 litres or 128 US fluid ounces a day.
- Read 10 pagesFrom a non-fiction book, usually self-improvement or business. Audiobooks don't count.
- Take a progress photoOne picture every day.
The sixth rule is the one people talk about most: if you miss any part of any day, you start over at day one. There are no rest days and no swaps.
What's useful, and what's overdone
| Part | What's useful | What's overdone |
|---|---|---|
| Daily checklist | Five clear tasks with a finish line. No decisions to make each morning. | Five new habits at once is a lot for most people to start together. |
| Two workouts | Movement every day, and time outdoors. | About 90 minutes a day with no rest days. Most training plans build in recovery. |
| A gallon of water | A reminder to drink regularly. | Needs vary with body size, climate and activity. One fixed amount doesn't fit everyone. |
| 10 pages a day | A small, realistic reading habit. About 750 pages over 75 days. | The "non-fiction only" rule is a preference. Any reading you'll keep doing counts as a habit. |
| Restart at day one | It makes the commitment feel serious. | It turns one slip into a total loss. Habit research doesn't support that idea. |
The last row matters most. In the habit study by Lally, van Jaarsveld, Potts and Wardle (2010), missing a single day did not materially affect how automatic a habit became. A rule that erases 40 days of progress for one missed photo teaches the all-or-nothing thinking that makes people quit habits in the first place. The consistency over intensity guide goes further into why steady beats extreme.
A gentler 75-day version
You can keep the structure of 75 Hard, a fixed set of daily tasks for 75 days, and change the parts that break people. Choose your own goals for each line.
- FoodOne food rule you choose, like a vegetable with every meal or no sugary drinks. Alcohol limits are up to you.
- MovementOne workout or walk of 20 to 45 minutes a day, outdoors when you can, with one planned rest day a week.
- WaterA daily amount that suits your body and activity. The water intake calculator gives a starting estimate.
- Reading10 pages of any book you want to finish.
- Check-inA photo, a one-line journal note or a tick on a tracker. Whatever you'll keep doing.
- The miss ruleNever miss the same task twice in a row. Count total days done, and finish at day 75 on the calendar.
On a bad day, do the smallest version of each task: a 10-minute walk, a glass of water at each meal, two pages. Those days still count.
If you want to do the official challenge
- Plan the time. Two workouts, reading and meals take about two hours a day. Block them in your calendar for the first two weeks before you start.
- Make the outdoor session easy. A brisk walk counts as a workout for many people. Keep the hard session indoors.
- Prepare a checklist. Five boxes a day on paper, filled in before bed, so you don't lose a day to a forgotten photo.
- Listen to your body. Pain, illness or exhaustion are reasons to stop or switch to a gentler plan, not tests of toughness.
Common mistakes
- Starting from zero activity. Going from no exercise to 90 minutes a day is a big jump. Build up for a few weeks first, or use the gentler version.
- Picking an extreme diet. The rules let you choose. Choose something you could eat for much longer than 75 days.
- Treating day 76 as the finish line. If nothing carries on after the challenge, most of the benefit fades. Decide in week ten which habits you'll keep.
- Quitting after a restart. If you reset at day 30, it can feel pointless to start again. Switching to the gentler version is a fine choice.
What to do today
- Choose your versionOfficial or gentler. Write your five daily tasks with a smallest version for each.
- Make the checklist75 rows on paper, or use the challenge generator and repeat it.
- Start tomorrow morningTonight, lay out your workout clothes and put the book by your bed.
In XP Tracker, a gentler 75-day plan maps onto quests you'd have anyway: Physical Training runs a timer and you decide what counts, Daily Reading tracks pages, and add-ons such as Drink water and Walk cover the rest. Each quest keeps its own streak, rest days keep streaks, and a missed quest only costs the XP you didn't earn. See how workouts work in the app.
Questions people ask
What are the 5 rules of 75 Hard?
Follow a diet of your choice with no cheat meals and no alcohol; do two 45-minute workouts a day, one of them outdoors; drink a gallon of water (about 3.8 litres); read 10 pages of a non-fiction book; and take a progress photo. Do all five every day for 75 days.
What happens if you miss a day of 75 Hard?
Under the official rules, you start again from day one. That includes missing any single task, like forgetting the photo.
What is 75 Soft?
It's an unofficial, gentler version shared online. Versions differ, but a common one is: eat well and drink alcohol only on social occasions, one 45-minute workout a day with one active recovery day a week, about 3 litres of water, and 10 pages of any book.
Can you do 75 Hard with a full-time job?
Many people do, but two 45-minute workouts plus reading means about two hours a day before travel and showers. If that doesn't fit, a version with one workout and a weekly rest day is more realistic.
Does 75 Hard actually work?
There's no published research on the programme itself. It combines common habits, like regular exercise and reading, with a strict all-or-nothing rule. People who finish often report feeling more disciplined, but the restart rule also makes many people quit.
Is 75 Hard safe?
It depends on you. Two workouts a day with no rest and a fixed gallon of water aren't right for everyone. Talk to a doctor before starting, especially if you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have a history of disordered eating.
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