INTRODUCTION

Have you heard about the 75 Hard Challenge before? Andy Frisella is a motivational keynote speaker, author, podcaster and owner of a supplement company. The program is supported and promoted by a book, a website and an app. The program is designed to transform mental toughness. Details can be found here. The following is a brief summary and some speculations about the pros and con of the program.

PROGRAM

Five pillars make up the program.

• Drink one gallon per day of water.
• Choose a diet, and stick to it. There are no exceptions. No alcohol, either.
• Workout 45 minutes, twice daily. This will total 90 minutes. At least one workout should be done outdoors.
• Improve your mental health. Each day, read 10 pages from any self-help or entrepreneurial book. Not Dead Yet is a good choice.
• Each day, you must capture a picture of your progress.

Frisella describes the plan as a difficult challenge but insists that it is primarily designed to promote and test mental toughness. Frisella wants his followers to feel confident that they are able to stick with a challenging routine without any excuses. His rule is that, if you miss a day on the plan, you have to start from day 1.

Frisella boldly claims that 75 HARD can change your life forever… your thinking and the discipline with which you approach every task. Other claims are made by him. The feedback that he has received is what catches the most attention.

• The leaders have become more effective at their jobs.
• The parents and children have become more responsible.
• Their income has increased.
• The confidence in their own abilities has increased.
• As a result, they’ve undergone massive physical changes.
• The changes that they have made to their life are permanent.

He claims also that more than 100,000 people have taken up the Challenge and completed it. If true, it would be impressive.

It is a website that’s full of pep talks, promises and testimonials. The website is filled with superlatives and promises that remind you of Tony Robbins and Benny Hinn.

This is the description by one of our Challengers.

An article on it

It’s true, I totally underestimated how

This is hard and it’s kicking me in the butt. This is what I failed at

failed on Day 12 after starting again.

This is my third try and I am really hoping that the

I’m going to say that the third time will be my charm.

Even though the failed within a short time, it still took a long amount of time to fix them.

Through my efforts, I have gained so much. I pushed myself on days I

I didn’t really want to do it, but I felt I had finally accomplished

something. The feeling I had each day that I met the challenge was truly amazing.

Like a winner. The challenge and other fitness challenges are great.

It may not suit your requirements. What is most important?

Listen to your body. Do only what you feel right

You! To anyone considering this challenge:

It is something I strongly recommend. There will be difficulties.

Days when you wonder why you wanted to even do it in first place

is a place where you can feel badass every day.

You can achieve challenging goals if you believe in yourself. All those who

will join me in attempting this challenge. You can do it!

CONS

Frisella doesn’t have the credentials you might think he has. Frisella isn’t a certified wellness trainer, a physician, a nurse, a nutritionist, a psychologist, a fitness instructor, or any other credentialed professional in the field. It isn’t essential but it could be useful to have a group of advisors. He recommends caution, and that you get medical clearance first before you go all out with your discipline and dedication to success. But in some cases it will not suffice.

There are no references to independent studies or publications that support the program. There is no scientific or medical literature about the five main pillars.

A promoter who owns a company that sells supplements could be in a conflict of interest if they were to use these products for the Challenge.

There are always risks associated with fitness, but they can be increased when untrained, inexperienced and unsupervised people do hard exercises without taking a break.

The Challenge is a poor idea because it does not provide guidance or flexibility. It also promotes discipline, dedication, fitness, and nutrition, all of which are good for everyone. The Challenge, as it is described, seems to be a potential health risk, except for those who are rational, sensible, physically fit, and capable. It’s the same with any kind of exercise. Especially those I have been doing my whole life. But I am better prepared than many of these 75 people for what they will face.

Most people find it too risky. There are too many possible problems. Here’s another list of things to consider, besides the main concerns listed above:

• Too little time for recovery can cause problems.
• When it is better to exercise indoors, staying outside may be preferred.
• On some days it may be best to exercise less than 90 mins a day, or even not at all.
• Some people might feel tempted to continue with two 45-minute routines, despite injury or sickness in order to prevent being demoted to the first day.
• It is important to focus on healthy living practices for life, and not just on perseverance over a short period of time.
• How much water you drink each day can be too high or low, depending on a number of factors.
• It is important to provide dietary guidance. Some diets can be worse than not eating at all, while others should receive promotion.

You get the picture. The program is a good one, but it lacks essential guidance.

PROS

Mental toughness is beneficial to everyone. It is worth it to use any program that doesn’t harm you while adding confidence, grit and belief in yourself. Certain people may find the 75 Hard Challenge a positive experience if they complete it without any negative effects.

If it is appealing, you should be aware of its negative aspects. You must also know how to modify it so that it suits your circumstances. It seems that the key to success is to not be too attached to all of those unwise, bossy rules. It is also important to begin the program well-informed about healthy nutrition and exercise. The Challenge will be worth it if these conditions are met, even if the program that you use does not closely match the one prescribed by Frisella.

If on the other hand, you are normal, that is, overweight, under-exercised and under-informed about safety and effectiveness protocols for the athleticism dimension (exercise and fitness) of REAL wellness, the 75 Hard Challenge could be a frustrating and injury-riddled, miserable experience and, in the end, a failure that lowers your confidence, grit, belief in self, fortitude, perseverance and not-so-transformative mental toughness. Most programs do not have a high success rate if they are plagued by setbacks and failure on Day One.

What about a Hard Challenge reworked, especially if you are an American? You could follow these two useful but revised pillars:

1. Every day, exercise for 30 minutes.
2. You can read Not Dead Yet! World Triathlon Champions 75+ Share Tips on Thriving and Flourishing Later in Life.

You can still find a challenge that you enjoy by consulting a trainer. Discuss your goals and situation.

EXPERT COMPLIMENTS ON 75 HARD

Grant Donovan from Perth, Australia

Hello Don, 75 Hard seems a little extreme. Andy looks like he has served time in prison, which makes it make sense. You’ve given me all the information I need about the 75 Hard Challenge. It sounds too difficult. In fact, I am thinking about martyring myself to gain access to 72 virgins. It sounds like more fun.

Wendy Shore in Maui, Hawaii

Don — The guy is a snake-oil salesman, a first cousin of all snake-oil sellers like Joel Osteen. Frisella’s plan epitomizes bossy and inflexible rules. If you can’t complete a part, go back to the first day. It sounds like mental preparation for a person who wants to be a Catholic. Well, I suppose some people do love self-flagellation.

He’s full of BS. It would take me too much time and patience to list all the BS. Besides, cultists are like religious followers who believe they have the right answer and will not listen to pesky facts. Here are some comments that can be backed up by the pesky facts, aka scientific evidence.

Do not trust supplement sellers. Most of their products are snake oil.

With a normal life, how many people have an additional hour and half of a day for the 75 Hard Challenge.

Exercise for 45 minutes outside? If you live in a place where temperatures rarely drop below 100F or rise above 0 degrees for long periods of time, what can you do?

90 minutes every single day? Recovery is not something new. It’s a shame Friscella didn’t bother to do some research on the science behind exercise.

Any diet? What about the diet of 17 cupcakes a day? The Celery Diet is another option. Like supplements, most diets are snake oils.

Do you have to drink one gallon of liquid a day? Does he know about hyponatremia? Hyponatremia is a condition in which sodium levels are below normal. This can be caused by excessive amounts of water. )

It is not his field of expertise, but he believes that it must be so because it was something he came up with. To me, it sounds like an old president. It’s amazing that he doesn’t have any rules for sex. It makes me shudder just to imagine what it might be like.

You’re own cons sound pretty good. This program has no pros for me.

Bruce Midgett Missoula, MT

Slow down! You’re a motivational speaker and podcaster. Are you also an author? Do you own a supplement company? Already, I am backing away from the room. Andy looks frightful in the before and after pictures. The abs are the only thing that speaks.

I couldn’t find much about Andy Frisella, except for about 15 internet articles about his net worth.

In light of those superficial observations, I’d like to respond to Andy’s pitch in multiple ways:

1. Drink a gallon of filtered water every day. 16 eight-ounce glasses of water a day is that enough? This is one glass for every hour that I am awake, if I do not nap. I plan to, and so this alone will violate my diet. Does coffee count as a drink? Does he also sell urinary catheters that are permanently fixed?

2. Choose your diet. Really?). It is important to follow it. There are no exceptions. No alcohol, either. I was tempted to only eat chocolate and ice-cream, at times simultaneously. With all the water. Already, my innards warn me that I may be facing a major upheaval.

3. Work out for 45 minutes twice daily, totaling 90 minutes. One of those must be spent outdoors. My current workout routine is more than enough.

4. Improve your mental health. Every day, read 10 pages from any self-help or entrepreneurial book. Sorry… not for me… but I do enjoy Not Dead Yet, and the other Ardell books. Fiction, personal memoirs, politics, and history are my favorites. The majority of self-improvement material puts me to bed. Sometimes that’s a good thing.

5. Each day, you must snap a picture of your progress. What is the progress picture? It’s been a while since it’s done anything that could be considered progress. Maybe tomorrow I will try out the shredder/chipper.

In my little corner of the globe, anyone who offers a solution that is flimsy and claims that it will change your life forever has my suspicion. While I am skeptical, I would be willing to see how his practice and wisdom has changed people’s life. What are the measures of success? When I read the six life-changing changes that he lists, it reminds me of an old traveling preacher who told people they could live any life as long as they followed his rules. Many believers will testify that they believe such drivel.

If the devotees believe that this stuff is effective, then it will be, at the very least, in their minds. Isn’t it more of an egocentric process whereby expectations are matched to accomplishments? This is an invitation for people to overlook the negative aspects of the program and their possible effects. Personal, I enjoy my exercise, mental gymnastics, and love of life.

It all sounds gruesome, not just rigorous. It’s not that serious. I wouldn’t lose my humor to achieve admirable abs.

Lutz Hertel, Dusseldorf, Germany

There are many challenges to be found, and they will appeal to most people. Frisella’s version is demanding, but I don’t see any scientific basis for its core prescription. Since the letters cover most of the issues, I will not go into detail.

Health risks are associated with diet and exercise regimes. People who do not succeed are rarely mentioned, as is the case with many other public challenges. Do you want to find out which of my challenges I’ve mastered? Complain less. In that spirit, I will say nothing more. It’s been a lot of fun to read the comments. Grant’s is my favorite. His seductive challenge sounds more enjoyable. His sense of humor is unique. You chose an intriguing story.

Kendall Dinehart, Chris Martin and Lutz FL

Note: Kendall Dinehart, her boyfriend Chris Martin and their 75 Hard Challenge are all active participants. As I was aware of their participation, I asked for comments on the experience so far. They are two weeks in to the 75 Hard Challenge. I shared this essay and the letters-to-the-editor, requesting comments on all that, as well.)

The REAL Wellness Report essays and letters you have written are awesome! Your cons were exactly what we felt. The two daily exercise routines were reduced to one hour.

The Challenge so far has been a great experience for us. Yoga and walks will be part of some workouts. We won’t overdo things.

John Hollenhorst, St. Pete Beach, FL

Frisella says that the program has changed many lives. I am all in favor of it. This challenge would only have a great impact if the base was couch-based.

If the challenge encourages people to take the plunge, that is success.

Steve Jonas, East Setauket, NY

The program may not be for everyone. This program is not for everyone. Mental toughness can be achieved in other ways.

Where is the proof? How do we know that a 100 thousand people have completed the challenge?

The five pillars, and the other rules seem to indicate that there are many negative effects.

Frisella, do you know what percentage of people who start the program will drop it? He gets reports and conducts surveys to track adverse effects. Does he have any supervision to evaluate results objectively and accurately?

All certified fitness trainers know that one size does not fit all. The 75 Hard regime seems to violate this principle. A second concern is being specific in determining how an exercise program can lead to lifestyle changes over the long term. Friscella appears to ignore these guidelines.

75 Hard creator proclaims his Challenge as the only program. Really? Many people are healthy and fit today and have always been. They never heard about his program or any other similar one. Many millions of people are able to maintain high levels of health and fitness without having to meet Friscella’s Challenge requirements.

This is not something I like. I can’t think of anyone I could recommend it to.