How are 75 Soft and 75 Hard different?
They share the frame: 75 days in a row, a short list of daily rules and a checklist you tick each night. They differ in how much each day asks and in what happens when you miss. 75 Hard is a branded program by Andy Frisella with fixed rules. 75 Soft is an informal version from social media, usually credited to Irish fitness creator Stephen Gallagher. 75 Medium is a community middle ground with no official version.
75 Soft vs 75 Medium vs 75 Hard: the rules side by side
|
75 Soft |
75 Medium |
75 Hard |
| Workouts |
One 45-minute session; one active-recovery day a week |
One 45-minute workout; often one outdoors each week |
Two 45-minute workouts, one outdoors, three hours apart |
| Food |
Eat well, no set diet |
An eating plan kept most of the time |
A diet you choose, no cheat meals |
| Alcohol |
Social occasions only |
Limited |
None |
| Water |
3 liters (about 100 oz) |
A goal that fits you |
1 gallon (about 3.8 liters) |
| Reading |
10 pages of any book |
10 minutes of reading or learning; audio often counts |
10 pages of non-fiction; audiobooks do not count |
| Mind |
Not a rule |
5 minutes of meditation, prayer or journaling |
Not a rule |
| Photo |
Not a rule |
Optional, often day 1 and day 75 |
Every day |
| Missed day |
Keep going |
Keep going |
Start over at day 1 |
| Time per day |
About 1 hour |
About 1 to 1.5 hours |
About 2.5 hours |
The time estimates add workouts, showers, travel and reading for a typical adult; your numbers will differ. They matter more than they look: over 75 days, 75 Hard asks for roughly 110 more hours than 75 Soft.
Which one fits you?
Answer these four questions honestly, then pick the gentlest version that still feels like a challenge.
- How much do you train now? If the answer is "not much", two daily workouts is a jump that raises the risk of overuse injuries, a point a Cleveland Clinic sports psychologist makes about 75 Hard. Start with 75 Soft.
- How much free time do you have on your busiest day? If it is under two hours, 75 Hard will force a choice between sleep and a restart. 75 Soft or 75 Medium fits.
- How do you react to a slip? If one bad day makes you want to quit, the restart rule works against you. Choose a version where a miss is a pause.
- Do you have a health condition, an injury or a history of disordered eating? Talk to a doctor before any version, and prefer the softer rules on food, water and training.
Three example people
- Maya, 34, office job, walks at weekends. 75 Soft: a 45-minute walk or home workout after work, a Sunday stretch as recovery, and 10 pages at bedtime. About an hour a day.
- Jordan, 27, lifts four times a week. 75 Medium: training on most days, a daily run or walk on the others, 5 minutes of journaling and 10 minutes of a learning podcast on the commute.
- Sam, 41, trains daily, flexible schedule, likes strict rules. 75 Hard, with one workout a brisk outdoor walk to limit load, water spread through the day and a doctor check first.
What about the water rules?
The gap is bigger than it looks. The National Academies put total water from all drinks and food at about 2.7 liters a day for women and 3.7 for men. 75 Soft's 3 liters of drinks is generous for many people; 75 Hard's gallon of plain water is more than that for most smaller adults. Either way, sip through the day. Drinking about a gallon within an hour or two can lower blood sodium dangerously, and kidney, heart or liver conditions and some medicines raise the risk.
Does a missed day matter?
In 75 Hard, yes: the program sends you back to day 1. In 75 Soft and most versions of 75 Medium, you note it and carry on. Habit research sides with carrying on: in a study of 96 adults, a single missed day did not materially change progress. If you choose 75 Hard for its strictness, decide before day 1 whether you will truly restart; the free 75 challenge tracker lets you set strict or forgiving, and asks before restarting so a forgotten tick is not mistaken for a miss.
Can you switch from 75 Hard to 75 Soft midway?
Yes, and it is often the smart move after an injury or a hard week. Keep your start date, change the rules and call it what it now is. In the tracker, tap 75 Soft; your ticks stay saved on your device.
Next steps
Read the details for each version in 75 Hard rules explained and 75 Soft rules (and 75 Medium). Then open the tracker, pick a program and print a one-page checklist. When the 75 days end, keep one rule: the 30-day habit building plan turns it into a small daily step, or build your own plan. More challenge ideas are in the habit building hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is 75 Soft easier than 75 Hard?
Yes. It asks for about an hour a day instead of about two and a half, includes a weekly recovery day, has no strict diet or daily photo and does not restart after a miss. It still takes 75 days of steady effort.
Does 75 Soft count if I have done 75 Hard before?
There is no official record for either, so it counts as whatever you set out to do. Many people alternate: a strict round when life is calm and a softer round in a busy season.
What is 75 Medium?
A community version between the two: one 45-minute workout, an eating plan kept most of the time, a water goal, 10 minutes of reading or learning and 5 minutes of meditation, prayer or journaling. Rules vary because there is no official version.
Which 75 challenge is best for beginners?
75 Soft, or a 30-day challenge with a single habit first. Two workouts a day with no rest is a big jump if you do not train regularly, and a restart rule is discouraging while you are still building the routine.
Can I make my own 75-day challenge?
Yes. Start from any preset in the tracker and edit, add or remove rules, up to six. Choose whether a miss restarts the count, then print the checklist or save a phone image.
Want a plan shaped around your own reason and obstacles?
Build my habit building plan 
