It’s amazing that you’ve committed to the 75 Hard Challenge. But it’s even better that you’re searching for a 75 Hard Printable Checklist. Ours is the best out there.
Our 75 Hard Printable Checklist is more than just a tracker for your six daily tasks. It also includes our body measurement chart with reminders on when to take full measurements and photos, space to record your workouts done and books read, along with an easy calendar to stay on track — even if you end up missing a few days.
As engineers, we always say, “What gets tracked, gets improved.” Our 75 Hard Challenge Tracker worked for us, and it will for you too.
75 hard printable checklist: daily progress tracker
Ryan and I have done our share of fitness challenges, including 75 Hard. We first heard about the 75 Hard challenge when one of our BODGroup members, Francia, posted her two daily workouts.
We knew she was a busy mom with a full-time job and were blown away by her work(out) ethic and results.
While 75 Hard is often thought of as a fitness challenge, its creator, Andy Frisella, calls it a mental challenge. What’s now become wildly popular on social media, #75Hard incorporates not just fitness but also personal development and nutrition.
One of the most motivating things you can do to stay on target during your 75 Hard challenge is to print out a tracker sheet and keep it somewhere visible in your house. We had ours on our kitchen table.
Nothing feels quite as satisfying as marking a big fat X after completing an activity.
If you just want the free 75 Hard Challenge Tracker, enter your email into the form below and we’ll share the 75 hard printable checklist PDF that we used. Good luck!
Or, keep reading for more details on the six rules of 75 hard, workout recommendations, and our experience.
The 75 Hard Printable Checklist (PDF)
Download and get instant access to our free printable 75 Hard Challenge tracker and bonus body measurement chart.
How the 75 Hard Challenge was born
Frisella’s 75 Hard Challenge is based on his podcast interview with James “The Iron Cowboy” Lawrence, also known as the “toughest man on the planet.”
Lawrence famously completed 101 Ironmans in 101 days (yes, the insanely challenging long-distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile marathon run). Wow.
In his interview with Andy Frisella, John Lawrence talks about how mental fortitude is the key to success when completing these challenges. He goes on how it can be exercised and flexed just like the body.
It was these comments that inspired Andy Frisella to publish his 2019 book, 75 Hard: A Tactical Guide to Winning the War with Yourself. In it, he shares how his life-changing method, 75 Hard, will enhance your mental toughness, grit, self-belief and ultimately, self-worth.
How to do the 75 Hard Challenge
The 75 Hard Challenge is simple because there are only six rules that you have to adhere to for 75 days.
However, anyone who has tried it knows that simple doesn’t mean easy. And since you’re committing to this challenge, you already know that easy is not the goal.
The 75 Hard Challenge Rules:
- Follow a diet of your choosing
- Exercise twice daily at 45-minutes each, with one of your workout sessions completed outside
- Snap a progress photo
- Drink 1 gallon of water
- Read 10 pages of a book
- If you miss a day, start back at Day 1
As two-engineers-turned-health-coaches, we see many challenges that aren’t based on science or on sustainable, healthy results. However, the 75 Hard challenge, overall, is a good one.
The critics of the 75 Hard challenge state that it’s too restrictive (which we agree with) and potentially detrimental, given which “diet” you end up following. We agree with that too.
While we think that you shouldn’t have to start over if you mess up, we support the concept here. Given that the goal is to build mental toughness, this challenge definitely adheres to that.
What are the 6 rules of 75 hard
Let’s break them down. This is our interpretation of the rules along with what worked for us.
1. Follow a diet of your choosing.
As far as following a diet goes, we share extensively our thoughts on both sustainable weight loss and clean eating.
In brief, we believe that eating mostly vegetables and getting enough fiber through healthy foods like beans is a big step in the right direction. Bonus points if you cook it yourself.
We don’t subscribe to any fad diets or anything too extreme. Not only is it unsustainable it could be detrimental to your health. In 2023, we started following a diet based on our real-time metabolism measurements. This is cutting-edge technology, and we’re huge fans.
To see what we did, check out our 3-month metabolic flexibility study using Lumen metabolism trackers.
2. Exercise twice daily at 45-minutes each, with one workout completed outside.
For us, we believe that a structured workout plan is worth more in gold than simply setting a timer and DIY’ing it for 45-minutes.
The plans we follow focus on different areas on different days (lower body, upper body, etc.) and most of our workouts are less than 45-minutes. If that’s the case, then no worries there.
We also think that general exercise includes “mindless daily movement” — things like parking far away, taking a walk, and yard work can count towards your second workout. Requiring it to be outside is definitely part of the mental toughness aspect, especially if you’re like Ryan and from Minnesota!
If you’re looking for a structured workout plan to get started with, we share a few free ones on our site like our Bodyweight Workout Program. For our 75 Hard Challenge, we choose P90X3, one of our favorites and best Beachbody workouts.
As his second workout, Ryan did Man Flow Yoga outside on the terrace. During the first 6-weeks, his total body mobility improved 70% and strength 101%. He decided this it was the most life-changing fitness program he’s done since Insanity by Shaun T.
If you need to improve mobility, strength, and athletic performance and eliminate aches and pains, check out his Man Flow Yoga review and experimental results.
3. Snap a progress photo.
Yes! This is a really good habit to start. Take multiple photos, and from all angles at least on Day 1. No one ever has to see it but it’s important to keep these as benchmarks, because sometimes you can’t see the progress in daily life.
We also think you should go a step further and take measurements. Ryan and I share another free printable PDF in our Fitness Tracking Body Measurement Chart that can be used as a template.
4. Drink 1 Gallon of Water
Drinking a gallon of water a day is the single-most best thing to do on this list. It’s surprisingly hard but so worth it. Once you start getting to that level of hydration, you’ll feel better, look better, and your body will crave water. We know from experience.
The health benefits are vast for such a simple thing as drinking water. From anti-aging to higher quality sleep, there’s ample research out there. Our favorite studies center around water and weight loss.
According to a Humboldt University study, drinking just 0.5 liters (about 2 cups) of water could increase metabolism by up to 30%.
Also, sometimes dehydration mascarades as hunger, so being fully hydrated prevents mindless snacking.
5. Read 10-pages of a book.
A great habit. As a couple, we love to read the same book and make a Duo Book Club for two. The idea here is to read a personal development book. If you’re looking for some fun recommendations, consider a few of our favorite books by topic
Nutrition:
The Blue Zones Solution
Fitness:
Born to Run
Relationship:
The 5 Love Languages
Personal Growth:
Atomic Habits
Can’t Hurt Me
6. If you miss a day, start over at Day 1.
Doing something for two weeks straight, let alone 75 days, is incredibly tough. (That’s why most New Year’s resolutions fail by January 19th!)
Again, the name of the game is grit and mental endurance, and this rule creates an ultimatum: do it or start over. However, this is the rule that we disagree most with.
Instead, consider making the best fool-proof plan you can by layering in multiple commitment devices. Partner up with an accountability buddy, post your progress on social media, set an alarm on your phone, make a bet, print out this tracker sheet and tape it to your mirror.
Do what you have to do. But if you miss a day, do your best not to miss two in a row, and continue where you left off.
If you’re doing the challenge with an accountability buddy and they completed Day 22 and you missed it, we recommend just picking it back up together on Day 23.
The 75 Hard Printable Checklist (PDF)
Download and get instant access to our free printable 75 Hard Challenge tracker and bonus body measurement chart.
Closing THoughts on 75 Hard
Finishing the 75 Hard Challenge is an incredible achievement. With these tips and our free 75 Hard Printable Checklist, we hope you have a success.
Remember, there is no finish line. Once you check the 75 Hard off your bucket list, set a new goal. Also, don’t be ashamed to try the 75 Soft Challenge. We did, and we made a tracker sheet PDF available for download.
Lastly, regarding workouts, we highly recommend these 8 programs available on BODi. Additionally, we created several free programs as well, such as our 12-week Gym Workout Plan for Beginners or this Resistance Band Exercise Chart and Training Plan.
Do you have any questions or feedback? Feel free to ask in the comments. Or, if you have tips on surviving the 75 Hard, please share in the comments and we look forward to the discussion.
Cheers to your transformation! For more helpful resources, such as our Bodyweight Workout Plan or the 30-Day Ab Challenge, head over to our Work Out At Home page.
Hey we're Ryan and Alex
A husband-wife duo, two engineers, and the creators of Ryan and Alex Duo Life.
After eight years working in the corporate world as engineers, we left to tackle our true passion:
Helping highly motivated couples optimize their relationship and health by cutting through the muck and sharing what the research says works.
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