The 75 Hard and 75 Soft have helped countless people develop good habits, and even change their lives. Today I’m going to explain what these programs are, how they work, and share how I’m preparing to go on my own journey doing the 75 Soft.
What is The 75 Hard?
The 75 Hard is described as a “transformative mental toughness program.” It consists of five tasks that have to be completed everyday for 75 days. If you miss a day, or don’t complete a task, you have to start the 75 days over again. The five tasks are:
- Follow a structured diet – no alcohol or cheat meals
- Two 45 minute workouts – one must be outside
- Drink a gallon of water
- Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book
- Take a progress picture
What is The 75 Soft?
Since that program can be too intense for some people, different versions started popping up around Pinterest and TikTok. One of those is called the 75 Soft, which was started by Stephen Gallagher on TikTok.
It takes the same framework that The 75 Hard has, but makes them more manageable. That way, those that are maybe just starting to create healthy habits can have something easier to follow. Here are the modified tasks of The 75 Soft:
- Eat well and only drink on social occasions
- Train for 45 minutes a day – with 1 active rest day a week
- Drink 3 liters of water daily
- Read 10 pages of any book daily
Two other key differences is that you don’t have to take pictures everyday, and you don’t have to start over if you mess up. Next let’s talk about the pros and cons of these programs
The Benefits Of These Programs
Programs like this are a great way to learn, or relearn, healthy habits. It can truly transform your life as you start noticing yourself getting stronger in your workouts.
And, you notice your skin getting clearer from eating healthy and drinking water, and your mind getting sharper through reading everyday. A healthier you is awaiting after 75 days, all you have to do is begin.
The Not So Great Things About These Programs
For all the pros there is always going to be some cons with anything. The 75 Hard gets put in a negative light because it can be seen as too extreme and strict. However that is where the “mental toughness” part comes into play.
On the other hand you have The 75 Soft. While that may seem to solve all the problems that The 75 Hard creates, in my opinion, and experience, it can be a little too relaxed. Which is why for this next attempt of mine I’m combining the two.
My Experience
I’ve tried doing The 75 Soft a few times before, but I never made it far enough to start seeing a transformation. Whether I failed at working out or didn’t eat well for a few days until I just fell off, At most I lasted two or three weeks.
I truly do believe that this program can be life changing. It’s built on healthy habits for your all around health. The 75 Hard may be too challenging for me, but I think I could accomplish The 75 Soft – adding in my customizations of course.
The 75 Soft (Kelly’s Version)
I’m taking the base of The 75 Soft, adding in some of The 75 Hard structure, and adding some habits that are important to me to create this program. I think doing all of this will give me the best chance of success this time, along with some mindset shifts. Here is what I’m doing daily:
- Eat well and only eat takeout on social occasions
- Train for 45 minutes a day – with 1 active rest day a week
- Drink 80 oz of water daily (add 10 oz every 3 weeks)
- Read 10 pages of a personal development book
- Write down 5 things I’m grateful for each day
- Read my Bible daily
- Take photos on day 1, 40, and 75
If I miss more than two days in a row then I will start over. This gives me a little flexibility but also gives me more of a structure if I mess up.
How I’m Preparing Myself This Time
To be successful in a program like this, your mindset has to be all in, which is something I was missing in other attempts. You can plan and prepare all you want, but if your mind isn’t ready for those battles when you aren’t feeling like working out or going home to cook dinner, you won’t make it. Trust me, I know from experience.
So here are some of the things I’m doing ahead of time to get into the right mindset to take on this program.
- Journaling: Getting clear on my why and figuring out what to do when certain situations arise (like not feeling motivated or having a late night at work).
- Creating a Vision Board And Setting It As My Phone Wallpaper: Ultimate inspiration right at my fingertips. I’ll also make a physical one too, but I think a digital one is important to make as well.
- Using An App To Track My Progress: I found this app that is perfect for what I want to do. It’s for the 75 Soft, but it allows you to create your own tasks/habits to track as well. You can also start over on your progress if you need to restart the challenge.
Should You Do The 75 Hard or 75 Soft?
Before you go all in on one of these programs I recommend that you talk with your doctor to make sure that it’s okay for you to participate. Then you’ll want to decide which program you want to do, The 75 Hard, The 75 Soft, or a special combination/concoction of the two like me.
Then make sure that you take time to examine where your mind is at and get it prepared to be challenged. If you are still ready after doing all that, I say go for it!
Have you done one of the programs before, or will you be doing The 75 Hard or 75 Soft for the first time? Let me know in the comments!