What’s the 75 Soft Challenge and Why I’m Doing It
If you’ve been anywhere on social media in the past few years, you’ve probably come across the 75 Challenge. My newsfeed and Instagram has been filled with it since it was created years ago, and surprisingly I still have friends that swear by it.
I love trying new things and jumping into challenges, but I’ll be honest when I say the 75 Day Hard challenge scared me. It seemed like such an extreme lifestyle change and almost seemed like I was setting myself up for failure or burnout.
So when the 75 Soft Challenge started popping up, I was intrigued. This one was focused on healthy habits, self-care, and making small changes that could really make a difference in the long run. It was still challenging, but it seemed like something I could actually stick with for 75 days straight.
So that’s why I’ve decided to jump in and start the 75 Soft Challenge!
In this post I’ll share with you my plan, how to do the challenge, and what I hope to accomplish by doing this challenge.
Key Takeaways
- The 75 Soft Challenge is a more accessible alternative which requires less of a lifestyle change, with rules such as following a diet, exercising for 30 minutes per day, reading for 10 minutes each day, drinking enough water and taking progress pictures.
- The goal of the challenge is to stick with healthy habits for 75 days by developing a sense of self-discipline and commitment.
- Tools such as the Habits app and 1st Phorm app can help keep track of progress.
- Benefits include improved fitness levels, enhanced mental focus, improved time management skills and increased resilience.
- Downsides include requiring significant daily commitment, potential stress or socially isolating effects and may be expensive if equipment is necessary.
A Quick History
Before getting too far into the 75 Soft Challenge, I think we need to take a step back and look into what these challenges even are and where they came from.
The 75 Hard Challenge is a popular self-improvement program created by entrepreneur and author Andy Frisella. He created it in 2019 and shared about it on his podcast.
He created 5 rules for the challenge and if you broke any of the rules, you have to reset the challenge and start again at day 1.
Around the time of the pandemic the challenge really blew up, and with it, different variations of the challenge came about. This includes the 75 Soft Challenge, which is a variation on the 75 Hard challenge.
What is the 75 Soft Challenge?
The biggest difference between the 75 Soft Challenge is that it’s not as strict as the 75 Hard challenge.
Different groups on social media have different rules for the challenge, but generally whoever is participating in the challenge can create the rules that you’ll be sticking to for 75 days straight.
That’s part of what really appealed to me to do the soft challenge instead of the hard challenge. While eventually I do hope to do the full 75 Hard challenge, I’ve quickly realized in this life stage I’m unable to commit to a big program like that with two young kids. I’m lucky enough at this point in daily life to be able to fit in my marathon training and strength training each day.
The 75 Soft Challenge is a more accessible alternative to the extreme lifestyle changes that the full challenge requires. The full challenge offers very little room for variation, and that’s something I’m just unable to commit to at this point. And that’s ok!

Want to save this post?
Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox.
How to Do the 75 Soft Challenge
As the 75 Soft Challenge has become more popular, the rules have changed over time. The original rules were similar to 75 Hard, with just a few little modifications:
Follow a diet
Choose a diet that aligns with your health goals and follow it strictly for 75 days. You can choose any diet, as long as it promotes good health and is sustainable. Some popular ones are macro counting, keto, intermittent fasting, WW, and calorie counting.
Exercise for 30 minutes a day
Engage your body in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. It can be any type of exercise, such as walking, running, weightlifting, yoga, or any other activity that gets your heart rate up.
Drink enough water
Drink at least 1 gallon of water every day. This will help keep you hydrated and promote good health.
Read for at least 10 minutes
Read for at least 10 minutes every day. This can be any type of book, as long as it promotes personal growth or learning.
Take a progress picture
Take a progress picture every day to track your progress throughout the challenge.
No alcohol or cheat meals
Avoid alcohol and cheat meals for the entire 75 days.
Practice daily reflection
Spend at least 10 minutes every day reflecting on your progress, goals, and personal growth.
Many people mix and match these rules to make a program that will be challenging for them, but also something they can realistically do. I’ve seen in groups where the modified rules include allowing alcohol during social occasions only, or just limiting alcohol to only weekends.
Related Post: 1st Phorm Opti Greens 50 Review
75 Hard Challenge Rules
Unlike the Soft Challenge, the 75 Hard Challenge rules are more rigid and can seem very extreme to the average person. Here’s the rules for the full challenge:
Follow a diet
Choose a diet that aligns with your health goals and follow it strictly for 75 days. This can be any type of diet, such as low-carb, keto, vegan, or any other diet that promotes good health and is sustainable.
Exercise twice a day
Engage in physical activity for at least 45 minutes, twice a day. The first workout should be outdoors, regardless of weather conditions, and the second workout can be done indoors.
Drink enough water
Drink at least 1 gallon of water every day. This will help keep you hydrated and promote good health.
Read for at least 10 minutes
Read for at least 10 minutes every day. This can be any type of non-fiction book, as long as it promotes personal growth or learning.
Take a progress picture
Take a progress picture every day to track your progress throughout the challenge.
No alcohol or cheat meals
Avoid alcohol and cheat meals for the entire 75 days.
Practice daily reflection
Spend at least 10 minutes every day reflecting on your progress, goals, and personal growth.
No substitutions or exceptions
The challenge must be completed exactly as prescribed, with no substitutions or exceptions. If you miss any of the daily requirements, you must start over from Day 1.
As you can see, the 75 Hard Challenge rules are a lot more intense than the 75 Soft Challenge!
What’s the Goal?
The goal of the 75 Soft Challenge is to stick with healthy habits for 75 days. It’s a great way to start off a new year, get back on track after the holidays or Spring Break, or just simply break out of a routine.
While you’ll probably see better results with the 75 Hard Challenge, the 75 Soft Challenge is still a really good way to get a jump start on healthy habits and get back on track (or even into a routine).
My Experience with the Challenge
I’m a few days into the challenge and so far it’s going well!
My 75 soft challenge rules are to follow a diet (I’m doing macro counting with 1st Phorm), no alcohol and workout daily. My hope by doing this challenge is to do a reset and build on my healthy habits again. This winter has been long and I’ve definitely developed a lot of bad habits over it so I’m using this challenge as a little reset.
My goal for the challenge isn’t weight loss based (that would be nice if it did happen though!), but more to stay consistent with my training and more specifically with my nutrition. As I get older I’m quickly realizing how much alcohol isn’t serving me and my fitness goals, so I’m taking this challenge to really get back on track and stay accountable for my goals.
For the workout portion of the challenge, I’m going to be continuing to focus on my training for the upcoming Chicago marathon and strength training with a strength program in the 1st Phorm app.

Tools for the Challenge
Here are some tools that have been helping me complete the 75 Day Soft Challenge:
Habits App
To track my days and habits, I downloaded a free app called Habits in the app store. I was able to add in the goals I wanted, and how they’d be measured. For example, I have workouts in there and was able to set a goal for at least 45 minutes a day for myself. For tracking macros, I was able to set it to be a check mark and I can check off when it’s complete.
The app is free but I did end up upgrading to the premium version for $6 lifetime access to get a few different design options and access to a progress overview.

1st Phorm App
For my workouts and nutrition program, I’m following the 1st Phorm app. This app is $13 a month and includes custom macro tracking and workout programs. I like this app a lot because it keeps me accountable with check ins with my coach, plus it’s really nice to have someone to be able to talk to and get guidance with my goals and answer any questions as they come up.

I’m also using this app to keep track of my progress with my weight each week, and progress photos.
1st Phorm also has a lot of other people doing 75 Hard and Soft Challenges in their facebook group, so it’s a good way to connect with others too.
Originally I was going to time when I did my challenge with one of 1st Phorm’s 8 week challenges, but the next one isn’t starting for a few weeks so I decided to just start my own a little early! Once the app challenge begins I’ll jump into that too.
Related Post: An Inside Look into the 1st Phorm App

75 Hard Challenge App
I should mention that there is also an official 75 Hard Challenge app, but I decided not to download it at this time. The app I found it $6 and has all the rules of 75 Hard Challenge built in, as well as a place to track your progress pics.
I decided not to download and use this app at the time because I know I’ll get discouraged not doing the full challenge. I want to get a 75 Soft Challenge under my belt first before even considering doing the full challenge!
Benefits of Doing 75 Soft Challenge
Here are some of the benefits of doing the 75 Soft Challenge:
- Flexibility of the program
- Improved physical fitness
- Healthy eating habits
- Enhanced mental focus and clarity
- Skill development
- Cultivating a growth mindset
- Increased self-discipline and motivation
- Developing a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence
- Improved sleep quality and overall health
- Greater appreciation for the value of hard work and commitment
- Improved time management skills
- Increased resilience and ability to handle challenges
- Developing a stronger sense of purpose and direction in life.
Downsides of the Challenge
While there are many benefits to doing the 75 Soft Challenge, there are also some potential downsides to keep in mind. Here are some potential downsides:
- Requires a significant time commitment every day
- Can be challenging to maintain a strict diet for 75 days
- May not be suitable for those with certain medical conditions or injuries
- Can be difficult to maintain motivation and consistency throughout the challenge
- May be difficult to find time for daily reflection and reading
- Requires a high level of self-discipline and commitment, which may not be suitable for everyone
- Can be stressful and overwhelming for some people, especially if they are dealing with other challenges in their life or kids (like me!)
- Can be expensive if you need to purchase equipment or gym memberships for the daily workouts.
- May be socially isolating if you need to avoid alcohol and cheat meals while spending time with friends and family who do not share your commitment to the challenge.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the 75 Soft Challenge is a great way to reset your habits and develop healthier lifestyle habits in just a few months.
While it can be difficult to embrace at first, with consistent effort and commitment you will likely find yourself with improved physical fitness, mental clarity and focus, better eating habits, and an overall appreciation for hard work.
The 75 Soft Challenge is also a great way to get a feel for what it would be like to do the full 75 Hard Challenge, and set yourself up for success should you choose to take on that challenge in the future.
If you ‘re looking for a way to challenge yourself and improve your health, the 75 Soft Challenge could be just what you need!
I’ll continue to update the blog with my updates, but if you want to see in more real time make sure to follow along with me on my Instagram!