The 75 Day Hard Challenge In 2024: Yay Or Nay?

Adulthood means there will be days when life throws too many curveballs, and dodging them all seems impossible. And there are days when we say, "Why does life have to be so challenging and complicated?" But again, there is a saying, what is life if there are no challenges or obstacles in the way?

But the human mind is built in such a way that we somehow manage to pull through life, no matter what.

With the entry of social media giants such as Instagram, I believe our perception of challenges has somewhat transformed. Nowadays, social media feeds are filled with posts where people are seen participating in fitness challenges or any viral challenge.

So, the question here is, why do people take up such challenges? Do these people already have their own set of hurdles? Yes, they do, but it is human nature to take up challenges. It is believed to keep us driven, apparently.

One such social media challenge creating some noise is the 75 day hard challenge. It is believed to be a fitness program that can help people strengthen their minds and bodies. The challenge has taken the internet by storm and has received a mixed response.

Speaking from the corporate world angle, one of the common challenges that almost every corporate employee faces is maintaining a work-life balance. However, things are slowly changing, and employers are starting to understand the value of work-life balance.

Moving onto the primary topic here, what is the 75-day hard challenge? Does it have any benefits? What about any side effects? Most importantly, should corporate employees go for such a challenge when work life already has its set of hurdles?

Read on to learn all about it and more.

What Is The 75 Day Hard Challenge?

The 75-day hard challenge is a fitness program curated to strengthen mental health. As the name suggests, one has to take up the challenge for 75 days. Andy Frisella, an American entrepreneur and social media personality, created this challenge with the vision of instilling healthy habits and taking control of one's life in just 75 days.

Wondering what you have to do in this challenge? 75 days challenge involves taking up a diet of your choice, performing workouts, and a few other things. The entrepreneur introduced this uniquely crafted fitness routine in his "Real AF" podcast in 2019.

Soon, the fitness challenge gained momentum and went viral on the popular social media platform "TikTok." You can also find thousands of content on Instagram, where people share their before and after photos of following the challenge.

Social media hashtags related to this trend almost garnered billions of views and engagements.

More than 100,000 people on the internet were intrigued and took upon the challenge. In no time, they reached out to Andy Frisella with stunning changes in their physical and mental health. Many of them also experienced weight loss impressively.

Taking Up Trending Challenges As A Corporate Employee

Should corporate employees try any trending challenges? The answer differs from person to person. Also, you may say as if my work life is not challenging enough, why would I take up any more challenges?

Participating in ongoing social media challenges that promise positive outcomes may be a good decision. Why? Given how social media plays a major role in today's world, trying viral trends may help you stay connected with the masses and experience something new.

Moreover, in doing so, it allows corporate employees to witness a shift in how they lead their daily lives. Many employees complain about life becoming monotonous and dull. Trying viral trends may bring in some excitement and some fresh perspectives on life.

Suggested reading: Importance Of Wellness Events For Corporates

What Are The 75 Hard Challenge Rules?

The 75-day hard challenge has five standard rules that need to be followed.

1. Follow a proper diet

The 75 days challenge allows you to choose any diet. The only catch is you ought to follow the diet for 75 days. Usually, when someone follows a dietary regime, they are entitled to a cheat day. In the case of a 75 day hard challenge, the participants are supposed to follow their diet without a cheat meal.

2. Working out

The 75-day hard challenge workout rule is to exercise two times a day. The duration of each workout has to be atleast 45 minutes. Yes. You read it right!

However, the rule to work out twice a day and complete two 45-minute workouts may be too overwhelming physically and mentally, especially for inactive individuals.

Do note that one has to do one of the workout sessions outside in the open. If you are concerned about how your body will react to this amount of workout, keep reading to learn about the side effects of the challenge.

Suggested reading: 12-3-30 Workout - Tips, Techniques, and Benefits for Employees

3. Drink a gallon of water every day

This is a good way to push people to drink more water. Are you someone who often forgets to drink water or stay hydrated? A survey suggests that almost more than half the population of adults in the United States drink very less water.

Suggested reading: Water Challenge: A Step towards a Healthy Lifestyle

The 75 days hard challenge, in this case, seems useful. The participants have to drink a gallon of water every day, which is equivalent to atleast 3.7 or 4 liters or 15 glasses of water per day.

4. Read 10 pages of any non-fiction book

The art of book reading is like a gem in today's time. Technological advancements have introduced the world to audiobooks, ebooks, and whatnot. Truth be told, you will come across very few people who genuinely read a book now.

In this challenge, the followers have to read 10 pages of a book belonging to the non-fiction genre. You have to practice this reading habit every day.

Ebooks or audiobooks have reduced the need to cut down trees, and it is definitely easier to carry ebooks. But when you think deeply, reading a physical book with interest, turning the crispy pages has a charm of its own.

Head on to the benefits section to learn how book reading as part of the 75-day hard challenge is good for you.

Here are some popular non-fiction book suggestions for you-

• The Psychology Of Stupidity by Jean Francios Marmion
• The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Ikigai by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
• Life After Death by Deepak Chopra

5. Take your progress pictures daily

Taking progress photos is the new-age way of penning down your thoughts to log your progress. This action can be an eye-opening experience. It may turn out to be an overwhelming process to see a photo where you may not look your best physically.

But there is a section of people who take such a situation competitively. Such individuals get driven and feel compelled to achieve their health goals.

Possible Benefits Of 75 Day Hard Challenge For Corporate Employees

1. You are bound to follow a diet

If you have ever tried following a structured diet, you will know the hardships related to it. The 75 day hard challenge is a great opportunity to have a healthier relationship with food.

Also, dieting may be tiresome or hectic, especially for corporate employees. Juggling between the workload, and personal stress, following a structured diet casually often go awry. However, taking part in such a challenge provides the boost you require to stick to a diet.

2. You remain hydrated

One piece of advice that every health expert suggests is to drink sufficient water and to keep oneself hydrated. This is because the human body continuously loses some water daily. Drinking water properly helps to compensate for the water loss.

Speaking from personal experience, the thought of drinking water seldom comes up while you are working seriously. This challenge is something that may help working individuals stay hydrated.

If required, you can take the assistance of a corporate wellness application like Vantage Fit, which will remind you to drink water timely.

3. It may keep your cognitive health strong

How often does anyone make an effort to keep their cognitive health strong? There was a time when almost no one talked about the importance of mental health. However, there is a gradual shift in this regard, and people are learning more about mental health.

This is not the case for cognitive health. If you are confused between the two terms, here is what the two terms mean. Cognitive health revolves around the brain's health, and mental health revolves around psychological and emotional health.

The question here is, how does this challenge help keep your cognitive health strong? The 75 hard challenge rule is to read 10 pages of a book every day. This particular act has the ability to keep your brain engaged, protecting your cognitive health in the long term.

It is worth mentioning that there is limited research to back this reasoning. Keeping your brain active and at its best is much needed if you want to excel in a creative career.

4. It may help you to be disciplined

To be disciplined means improving oneself for the better. It requires the utmost dedication and motivation to do so. If you have been trying to be more disciplined but lack the spirit, the 75 hard challenge may help you find your disciplined self.

What more? Employers always love and appreciate a disciplined employee. Now, this is something that every corporate employee should try, isn't it? We all want to create a good impression at work, don't we?

Even Andy Frisella speaks on his blog that this challenge can make you disciplined. Other healthy traits that the 75-day hard challenge can instill are - confidence, high self-esteem, self-worth, self-belief, fortitude, and grittiness.

Possible Side Effects Of This Fitness Program

Despite the above probable health benefits, the 75 day fitness program has several risk factors and side effects.

1. The stringent diet and workout routine may not fulfill its true purpose. Here's why!

This fitness trend has grabbed the eyes of certified health experts, and they are not very happy with the rules that Andy Frisella has set.

Firstly, the dietary regime in the 75 day hard challenge does not allow the consumption of a cheat meal. Putting a person through such a rigorous fitness program that takes away the joy of indulging in a cheat meal once a week tends to have a negative effect.

According to performance coach Saara Haapanen, this fitness program is not sustainable in the long term and may develop an unhealthy relationship with food instead. However, Andy states that the fitness program may look unsustainable initially, so he created the 75 day challenge.

He adds, it takes 75 days for someone to adopt any major changes in their lifestyle and master such healthy habits.

Moreover, one should follow a diet as per the type of workout they are practicing. Since the 75 hard day challenge has no standardized diet or workout routine, it is difficult for people with minimal or zero knowledge about which diet to follow according to their workout.

The result is their body may suffer internally, leading to unwanted health issues. Also, for those employees working in the corporate world, adopting such a challenge may cause them to feel agitated.

2. Clicking progress pictures may not be such a good idea for mental health

Although Andy Frisella included the rule of taking progress pictures with good intentions, it may not have the same intended effect on everyone.

Not everyone can handle a rough start, particularly those on a journey from an unfit body to a fit one. Looking at pictures of their unfit bodies, many may feel low and as if the world has fallen apart. Only a handful of people can look at their unfit selves positively to work towards a fit body.

Apart from this, if you are a corporate employee with too many things on your plate, enrolling for the 75 day hard challenge may not be the best way to develop a good habit.

3. You may suffer from overtraining syndrome

Andy Frisella has curated this program in such a way that the participants do not have any rest days. The thing is, if a person works out for 75 days straight, two times a day, he or she may develop the overtraining syndrome.

This condition occurs when a person exercises for many days at a stretch without taking rest days, leading to fatigue and increased risks of muscle injury.

Suggested reading: 5 Workplace Yoga Poses For Tiredness

Should You Go For It?

Andy Frisella, on his website, suggests everyone who wishes to try this challenge should consult a health professional. The 75 day hard challenge has no fixed diet or workout regime, or desired health goal to achieve. Moreover, there is no mention of who can and cannot take upon this fitness routine.

The challenge is not for feeble hearts, he says. Yet its primary goal is to toughen one's mental health. If you are in a challenging mood, you can surely go for this program. But, ensure not to proceed if you notice any negative impact on your personal or work life.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the 75 day hard challenge good for beginners?

The 75 day hard challenge is a complex fitness program to follow. Individuals who are habituated to following a diet or workout routine may be able to participate in such a challenge. But for people with no dieting or workout experience, this challenge is not suitable to try.

2. What are the rules of 75 days hard challenge?

There are five fixed rules in the challenge:

• Follow a diet.
• Complete two 45-minute workouts.
• Drink a gallon of water every day.
• Read 10 pages of a non-fiction book.
• Click your progress pictures.

3. Can you improvise the rules of the 75 day hard challenge?

No, you cannot improvise or change any of the 75 hard challenge rules.