75 Hard Has a Cultish Following. Is It Worth All the Effort?

Two 45-minute daily workouts. One gallon of water. 10 pages of a nonfiction book. A diet. No “cheat meals” or alcohol. For 75 days.

And if you mess up, you have to start from the beginning.

Sound like a lot? It’s supposed to be. The program, called 75 Hard, is meant to build mental toughness. Some say that rigidity is what makes it great, and others say that makes it problematic.

Since it was created in 2019, 75 Hard has developed somewhat of a cult following, with practitioners posting daily progress pictures and videos that sometimes rack up millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. One of Reddit’s biggest subreddits, with over 44,000 members, is dedicated to the program.

But is it beneficial, and are the changes sustainable? Psychologists say that while the program can have mental-health benefits, certain vulnerable groups may be pushing themselves too far without benefit. Exercise experts also say the regimen could be too taxing for those who aren’t young and active already, and could lead to physical injury.

“It can sound really cool and exciting and helpful, but is this something that’s actually really ultimately helpful, sustainable, good for the person?” asked Dr. Thea Gallagher, a clinical psychologist and the director of wellness programs at New York University.

“It would be great to have more continued rigorous research around these exciting programs-slash-challenges,” she said.