Usually fitness challenges come and go, but after going viral for several years, this one seems to be here to stay.
The popular TikTok challenge called #75HARD is about more than just burning body fat and building muscle. Its creator, American entrepreneur and podcast host Andy Frisella, describes it as a “test of mental strength”.
It is said to push the limits of the human condition through 75 days (as the name suggests) of strict diet and intense exercise.
And two women who took part in the regime told FEMAIL about their experiences – why they were inspired to do it in the first place, what they found most difficult and what the results were in the end.
Jojo Brown, 39, is a social media content creator from London and has taken on the challenge twice with her friend Ginger, 38, a naturopath.
PREVIOUSLY: Jojo Brown (pictured) decided to take on the challenge after hearing how many people had tried – and failed
Speaking to FEMAIL, both women explained why they decided to give it a go, saying they were inspired to do it “because they like looking for a challenge”.
Ginger added: “It kept coming up and Jojo and I talked about it all the time.” And then we just thought, “Why don't we do this?”
A big part of it was also seeing how many people failed.
According to Jojo: “I was watching, and the biggest thing I heard was how many people kept failing or getting to a certain day – like day 40 – and then having to start all over again.”
“I just asked myself, “What makes this so hard?”
“So we have this three-month thing where if we're still curious about something or still talking about it after three months, there's a clear incentive to do it.”
The couple talked about the program on and off for a year and finally decided to “pick a date and just get started.”
According to Jojo: “We picked a date.” And so we did it over the course of the summer from about June to the end of August.”
BEFORE AND AFTER: Ginger (pictured) also noticed that her body changed significantly when she first completed the challenge
What is #75HARD?
With every year that passes, a new fitness trend goes viral, but #75HARD is surprisingly consistent.
Invented in 2019, the program has become very popular among influencers on platforms like YouTube, as well as regular social media users on TikTok and other platforms.
Participants push the limits of what is possible with tough training sessions (including two per day – one of which has to be outside!).
You will also need to follow a diet that Frisella describes as “clean eating.”
This is described as including meals such as low-carb chicken and fish dishes, with some also including higher-carb days.
The creator of the program promises that by participating in his program, participants can achieve major breakthroughs not only physically, but also mentally.
In fact, the regime's mission statement is: “How to Gain Complete Control of Your Life in Just 75 Days.”
Frisella writes on his website that there is “nothing worse than rolling through life in the passenger seat.”
“You wake up, go to work and power through each day with no direction or driving force,” he adds.
“Then you drive home, binge through your favorite TV shows, go to bed, and repeat the same cycle the next day.”
#75HARD – What do you have to do?
As with many fitness and diet programs, the plan includes exercise in addition to what you eat.
And the training sessions are rigorous – two are required each day, one of which must take place outside.
Other program requirements require:
- Four liters of water daily.
- Special meal plan.
- Read 10 pages of a self-development book.
- No cheat meals or alcohol.
- Regular progress photos every day.
- Take a five-minute cold shower every day.
- Do other unrelated tasks, like a random act of kindness, or talk to someone in person every day
If you miss a task, you will have to go back to the first day and start over.
He continues, noting that “the weekdays all run together and you try to pass the time until the weekend… so you can relax and finally enjoy yourself.”
“But weekends have no meaning, and you have no real reason to enjoy them… and like the weekdays, they all start to run together.”
With that emptiness comes self-doubt, he says, noting, “The mental battle turns into a physical battle.” “You don't train like you used to because you don't see the point.”
Followers of the #75HARD movement must adhere to five basic rules for the duration of the program.
This includes both physical and mental challenges – which represents a bit of a departure from the average fitness program.
The #75HARD challenges include requiring participants to exercise twice daily for at least 45 minutes per session – and one of those workouts must be done outdoors.
A strict diet must be followed for the entire 10 weeks. There is debate on the Internet about whether cheat days are allowed or not.
The strict diet does not provide for a specific meal plan, but the consumption of some foods and drinks is prohibited.
These include chocolate, cakes and soft drinks. In addition to the ban on certain foods, alcohol is also not allowed to be consumed.
Hundreds of people are taking part in the challenge on TikTok
Millions of people shared videos of themselves doing the challenge on TikTok
However, other types of fluids are strongly encouraged and participants are instructed to drink four liters of water daily.
Although many of the physical aspects may seem familiar to those who regularly participate in fitness programs, there is a big difference at #75HARD.
In addition to stimulating the body, followers should also stimulate the mind and are instructed to read at least 10 pages of a self-help or personal growth book every day.
Followers are strongly advised to read non-fiction books – fictional literature is not allowed.
In order for participants to track their progress, they should take daily progress photos throughout the challenge.
This is said to highlight the dramatic physical change at the end of the 75 days.
Although the program itself sounds extremely difficult, there is a caveat that makes it even more difficult.
#75HARD must be followed for 75 days in a row.
Simply put, if a single mistake is made on any of the days, the participant must return to the first day (and imagine how frustrating it would be if you made a mistake on day 74!).
Funnily enough, even though this sounds almost impossibly difficult, it seems much more appealing to try when you talk to those who have completed the challenge (twice!) – especially if you heed some of the advice.
What made it so difficult for Jojo the first time was giving up sugar.
Since she has a sweet tooth, she is often offered baked goods, but she regularly has to go without treats.
However, when she took on the challenge for the second time, she realized that in addition to tracking all her habits, taking daily photos was the biggest problem.
#75HARD tips to make it easier – from those who have done it
According to Jojo and Ginger, one of the most helpful tips they can give is to create a separate WhatsApp group for the challenge, separate from their normal group chats.
Therefore, their daily photos and checkbox of tasks for each day would end up in this separate group instead of being mixed in with their general chat.
It's also easier to have a training partner to complete the challenge with – so you have someone to push you when you don't feel like training.
She said, “I didn't want to do it anymore.” I was literally halfway through and I was like, “I don't want to take any more photos, I just don't want to write anything down, I don't want to record anything.”
“And so that was the hardest thing the second time around. 'I don't drink either, so it was easy to stop.'
Ginger completed 75 days the first time and 45 days the second time as she was pleased with how much of the challenge she had completed.
Since she often works long hours, one of the most difficult aspects was completing two training sessions per day.
She told FEMAIL: “In my job I sometimes work up to a 12-hour shift.” That would mean getting up very early and coming home very late.
“I also have a bit of fatigue issues so I would really struggle with that but that was the benefit of the WhatsApp group because Jojo literally told me to keep going.”
However, another difficulty was the people around [her]'.
Ginger explains: “A lot of people thought I would fail on the alcohol front.” From day one they said, “You won't last because you want to drink.”
In the end, she urged people to stop due to strong peer pressure, noting, “It had been mentally tough, but once everyone stopped, it actually wasn't a problem anymore.”
Because the challenge was so difficult, there were also disadvantages, which Jojo and Ginger spoke to FEMAIL about.
According to Jojo, she suffered from migraines during the first two weeks of the challenge but persevered, which led her to believe that “it can go too far.”
She also spoke about being aware of your limitations when it comes to undertaking a fitness initiative like this.
Jojo said: “I can totally understand why some people have written about how it can be toxic or dangerous because I see how people can get to that mindset.” [of pushing through despite the pain].'
She continued: “I think you need to be aware that if you have issues with dieting or body dysmorphia or anything like that, it could be a problem for you, because I can imagine that could be a trigger…”[as] For some people it could be an excuse to pick up old negative habits again.'
Jojo pointed out that some people choose diets that are unhealthy and unsustainable, and “that's something people really need to be aware of.”
Another possible negative aspect that Ginger pointed out is the high water intake.
She explained, “I'm 6 feet tall.” I'm a curvaceous, strong person and…by myself [the four litres a day] wasn't a fight.
“But if you have someone who is much smaller…say, 5 feet tall and drinks 4 liters, that's not good for them, and we know through research that there is, I think. “
The other thing both Jojo and Ginger mentioned was that everyone assumed the two were taking on the weight loss challenge.
Ginger said: “I'm bigger than Jojo so people would say 'good for you' to me, whereas they'd say it to Jojo if she needed to lose weight – but we both really did it as a fitness challenge.”
When it came to completing the challenge, Jojo said, “If you're going to do it, you need to be informed.” So read other people's experiences and get an idea. Try to be aware of who you are and how you respond to challenges.”
When talking about doing it the second time, she said, “If you do it a second time, you have to be aware that you won't get the same results.” And you may feel very differently about that, what's difficult about it.'
She continued, “My body didn't respond the same way…So while I lost weight the first time but also kind of leaned out, I didn't do that the second time.”
“So never assume that everything will always stay the same.”
Ginger added: “I agree. Read on, the results will not be the same. And I think the interesting thing is that while I was reading it, I read a book by a guy who made it even harder because he did it in the winter [which made the outdoor exercises more difficult].'
She also pointed out that it's worth being prepared for people's reactions and reactions to you.
“They’re not always going to be positive,” she said. “And you have to manage your expectations… I think that's a big challenge.” And it really highlights what you might be struggling with.”