I was struggling to get motivated a few weeks back so a friend recommended 75 Hard. It’s a free 75 day mental toughness Program by entrepreneur Andy Frisella.  I instantly recognized Andy from the videos by Ben Lionel Scott that I enjoy watching (and I highly recommend his podcast). I’ve been working on my own 30-day program since November so I figured I’ve give this program a try along with what I’m already doing.

You can sign up for the program on Andy’s site. I will caution you – it seems a lot easier than it is. The first time I tried it, I got to day 4. Day 5 was a long workday for me and I didn’t have it in me to get my workouts in. So I restarted the program recently and just completed Day 10.

The Program:

The program consists of the doing the following tasks each day for 75 days. If you skip a task, you need to start over at day 1.

• Two 45-minute workouts (at least one needs to be outside)
• Go on a diet – it can be any diet, but you need to stick to it, have no cheat meals and absolutely no alcohol.
• Read at least 10 pages from a non-fiction book about entrepreneurship or career growth.
• Drink at least 1 gallon of water a day.
• Take a picture of yourself so you can see your progress.

My Modifications:

Yes, I know you’re not supposed to change it but I’ve started out with one modification and added the following daily tasks from my own program:

• Daily push-up, crunch and step goals. I increase these each week and am currently at 82, 210 & 9100 respectively.
• Watch or listen to 10 minutes of something motivational.
• Reach an article to increase my faith.
• Take a daily multivitamin.
• Do something I enjoy.
• A few other tasks that pertain to my personal and professional goals.

I’ve also modified the 1 gallon requirement down to two liters (which is slightly more than a half-gallon). I actually got sick doing this the first time I tried the program so I’m working my way up to a full gallon. I’ll explain what I’m doing (and why this will be more than a 75 day program) in a bit. So let’s get into each task

The Workouts:

Andy describes this as a Mental Toughness Program rather than a workout program. Again, while it sounds easy, it’s a little deceptive. It’s easy to go for a walk or run outside when the weather is nice. It’s not so easy when it’s cold, rainy or both. Three out of the ten days it has rained and I have gotten soaked at least once. But that’s the key.

My two workouts are usually a 45 minute walk outside and 45 minutes on the exercise bike. Some days I do two walks outside. I’m planning to start running in a few weeks – I’m working my way up to it. What’s helped me is that I’m getting up early – I’ve started walking before 7AM the last four weekdays. So the program is already positively impacting me.

I’ve added in the steps, push-ups and crunches from my own daily program and increase them each work. Each walk is over 5000 steps so I automatically get my steps in.

The Diet:

I lost 25 pounds doing my own 30 day program so I’m at a weight that I want to maintain. My diet is actually very simple: burn more calories than I eat and track them in my fitbit account. I don’t drink alcohol so that part is pretty easy for me. Again, even this simple diet sounds simple but tracking intake takes discipline and counting calories is much harder than you would think. I’ve added the multivitamin as it was part of my program and ensures I’m getting proper nutrients.

Additionally, I’m a practicing catholic that has given up cookies and candy for lent so I’ve had neither over the last 50+ days.

The Reading:

I love reading so this is not a struggle for me. The biggest challenge is settling in on a book. Over the ten days, I’ve read  over 150 pages of “The Millionaire’s Secrets: Life Lessons in Wisdom and Wealth” by Mark Fisher (I started it during my first attempt) and over 150 pages of  “How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication” by Larry King.

I’ve added in reading an article to improve my faith as that is something important to me. I read the daily mass each day plus five daily reflections. If religion is not your thing, you could read something each day to improve a particular skill or learn more about your industry.

Drink a gallon of water:

This prevents you from drinking other things that are bad for you such as coffee, soda or sports drinks  I really struggled with it during my first attempt as I would often feel sick at the end of the day. It is possible to drown your system. So I’m working my way up. Last week, I started with 2 liters and this week I’m doing 2.5. Next week I’ll move up to 3 liters and the following week go up to the full 3800 ML (which is slightly over a gallon). So that means I’ll really do this for 96 days (less if I move up to the gallon sooner).

Take a photo:

This one should be easy for most people but it’s still important. You want to be able to see your progress so I like how this is in here.

Summary:

I love this program and highly recommend it. In ten days I’ve already developed good habits and feel much better about myself. I’m excited to see how I feel as the program continues. Unfortunately, being in the middle of pandemic can make this program challenging. But even if you start with a modified version, it’s better than nothing. I’ll post updates on my progress periodically. Now that I’ve shared this – I’m committed.

The post My Review of 75 Hard by Andy Frisella appeared first on Overnight Sensation.