What Is The 75 Hard Challenge And What Does It Feel Like: Ed Armstrong
The 75 Hard Challenge is a 75-day health and fitness trend that is touted for being one of the toughest ones on record.It was created by Andy Frisella, an author, who is also known for his motivational speeches, supplement company, and his 'Real AF' podcast.The 75 Hard Challenge is a 75-day challenge of 'mental toughness'.It has six main principles that include:Taking a five-minute cold showerReading 10 pages of non-fiction a dayFollowing a diet that doesn't have cheat meals and alcoholWorking out twice a day for at least 45-minutesDrinking four litres of waterTaking progress pictures every dayIf you miss a day, you have to start again.On an episode of the Rebuild Health and Fitness podcast, we discuss the 75 Hard Challenge with Ed Armstrong, a mental health coach based in Sydney, who has completed it a few times. In the podcast, Ed shares why he took part in the challenge, what it feels like, and the ethics behind the challenge.This challenge is designed for those who like to push themselves — though people can get into an amazing shape by taking part in the challenge, the coach's perspective, however, is that the 'work hard, no sleep, strict diet' lifestyle isn't the best to promote. It may be easy to get inspired by someone who does this on a daily basis, those who share their routines online, on the other hand, don't necessarily recommend it. More often than not, the 75-Hard Challenge is something they're doing for their own physical and mental toughness. While challenges of this sort may not be the best thing for you, coaches still wouldn't advise against them.In Ed's experience, Andy's been of great help to him, particularly with regard to mental toughness and career development. His challenge has around four phases in total, and it takes a year to complete it. The basic premise is that it consists of six critical tasks that should be done every day without any breaks or mistakes for 75 days straight. The opinions on this challenge are quite mixed — you'll find coaches who agree that working out for 45-minutes, twice a day, isn't the best coaching strategy, nor is it wise to follow a strict diet of your choice regarding caloric intake. That aside, reading 10 pages of a personal development book, drinking four liters of water, taking progress photos, and taking a five-minute cold shower is relatively bearable and easy to complete. All in all, it has to be completed without any errors, because if there is one, you would be required to start the challenge from the beginning, which makes it quite a demanding program.The 75-Hard Challenge looks more like a mental resilience course, which is one reason people decide to take part in it. However, it's not the best routine to follow if you're looking for something that would benefit your health as a whole.Essentially, it's just to test yourself and push yourself when you don't feel like working out, explains Ed.