75 Hard Rules Explained: The 5 Daily Tasks and What Counts

What are the 75 Hard rules, in one table?

75 Hard is a 75-day program created by entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella, who describes it as mental toughness training rather than a fitness plan. The rules below follow his own description of the program. DailyHabitAI is not affiliated with 75 Hard; this page explains the commonly published rules so you can decide whether they fit you.

Most people describe it as five tasks and count the two workouts as one rule. A printable 75 Hard checklist therefore usually has six boxes a day. The free 75 Hard tracker uses the same six boxes.

What counts for each rule?

Does any diet count?

Yes. The program does not prescribe a diet. You choose one that fits your goals before day 1, and the fixed parts are no cheat meals and no alcohol. That is also why this page makes no claims about weight: what happens to your body depends on the diet you choose, your starting point and your training, not on the challenge itself. If you have a history of disordered eating, a strict food rule is a reason to talk to a doctor or dietitian before starting.

What counts as a workout?

Any deliberate training of at least 45 minutes: a walk, a run, lifting, cycling, a class, yoga or mobility work. Nothing says both sessions must be hard. Many people who finish make one of the two a brisk walk, which spreads the load and leaves room to recover. If you want a rough idea of how far a 45-minute walk takes you, the steps to miles converter shows it for your pace.

Does the outdoor workout count in bad weather?

Under the original rules, yes: one workout is outside every day, whatever the weather. Dress for it and change the plan, not the rule, when it is icy or stormy: a walk is safer than a run on ice. Your safety comes first; no challenge is worth a fall.

Does coffee or tea count toward the gallon?

The program is usually read as a gallon of plain water. Coffee, tea and other drinks come on top. For context, the National Academies set total water from all drinks and food at about 3.7 liters a day for men and 2.7 liters for women, and suggest most people can let thirst guide them. A gallon of water alone is more than that reference for many people, especially smaller adults.

Do audiobooks or podcasts count as reading?

No. The creator's description says audiobooks do not count toward the 10 pages. E-books do. The book should be non-fiction that teaches you something; there is no official list.

Does the progress photo have to be posted?

No. The rule is to take one. Many people keep the photos private and only compare day 1 with day 75.

What happens if you miss a day of 75 Hard?

Under the original rules you start over at day 1, even on day 74. That applies to every task, including a forgotten photo or a missed page. The restart is the part that makes the program feel "hard", and it is also why many people end up on day 1 several times.

There is a difference between a missed task and a missed tick. If you did everything and forgot to record it, fix the record; that is not a restart. The tracker lets you tap yesterday and tick it before it asks whether to restart.

If the all-or-nothing rule does not suit you, you can choose to keep going after a miss instead. In a study of 96 adults building a new daily habit, missing one day did not materially change progress, which is why many habit coaches prefer "never miss twice" to a full restart. The forgiving version is no longer 75 Hard by its own rules, so call it what it is: your own 75-day challenge, or a softer variant such as 75 Soft.

Is 75 Hard safe?

It depends on who you are and how you do it. There is little research on the program itself. In a Cleveland Clinic article, a sports psychologist points to three risks: overuse injuries from two workouts a day with no rest days, especially for beginners; an all-or-nothing mindset; and daily photos that can feed body-image worries.

Water is the risk people underestimate. Drinking about a gallon (3 to 4 liters) within an hour or two can cause dangerously low blood sodium, known as hyponatremia. Spread the water across your waking hours, do not chug it at night to catch up, and stop if you feel sick, bloated or confused.

Talk to a doctor before you start if any of these apply to you:

1. You have a heart, kidney or liver condition, or take medicines that affect fluid or sodium, such as diuretics.
2. You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
3. You have not exercised regularly for months, or you have an injury.
4. You have a history of disordered eating or struggle with body image.

If you get hurt or ill during the challenge, rest. A restart costs you days; training through an injury can cost you months.

A sample day that fits all five rules

This is one way a working adult could fit the rules in, not a prescription:

• 6:30 a.m. Progress photo, then a 45-minute outdoor walk or run. Start the first liter of water.
• 12:30 p.m. Lunch from the diet you chose. Second liter of water.
• 5:30 p.m. Second workout, 45 minutes indoors: weights, a class or mobility.
• 7:00 p.m. Dinner. Third liter, sipped, not chugged.
• 9:00 p.m. Ten pages of your non-fiction book, then tick the day.

Two 45-minute sessions plus showers and travel take about two and a half hours. If that does not fit your week, a gentler version will serve you better than a restart every ten days. Compare the options in 75 Soft vs 75 Hard.

How to start 75 Hard well

1. Pick your diet before day 1. Write it down in one sentence so you know what a cheat meal would be.
2. Plan both workout slots for the whole week. Decide which one is outdoors each day.
3. Put the water where you are. A marked bottle makes "on track" visible by lunchtime.
4. Choose the book now. Keep it by your bed so the 10 pages are the last task of the day.
5. Decide your miss rule. Strict restart or keep going; choose before day 1, not on a bad day.
6. Print the checklist. A paper sheet on the fridge is hard to ignore. The tracker prints a one-page 75 Hard checklist with 75 numbered days, or a blank one for a pen.

After day 75, keep the rule that helped most. The 30-day habit building plan turns one rule into a smaller daily habit, and build your own plan if you want it tailored. More guides live in the habit building hub, including how to be consistent and the autumn Winter Arc challenge.