What is the difference between 75 Hard and 75 Soft?
75 Hard has five strict daily tasks and restarts you at day 1 for any miss. 75 Soft has four looser tasks: eat well with alcohol only on social occasions, one 45-minute workout with a weekly active-recovery day, three liters of water and ten pages of any book. Missing a day does not reset it.
| Rule | 75 Hard | 75 Soft |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | Your chosen diet, zero cheat meals | Eat well in general |
| Alcohol | None | Social occasions only |
| Workouts | Two × 45 min, one outdoors | One × 45 min, one active-recovery day per week |
| Water | One gallon (about 3.8 L) | 3 liters |
| Reading | 10 pages, non-fiction | 10 pages, any book |
| Progress photo | Daily | Not part of the common version |
| Missed day | Restart at day 1 | Keep going |
| Official version? | Yes, at 75hard.com | No, community-made |
Sources: Cleveland Clinic on 75 Soft, Penn State Health and Verywell Health, checked October 30, 2026.
Who created 75 Soft?
75 Soft is a community-made variation that spread on social media; it has no official owner or rulebook. Runner's World credits a TikTok creator with popularising it. Because there is no single source, versions differ. Healthline describes one with four weekly workouts, meditation and audio learning allowed in place of reading.
By contrast, 75 Hard has a single creator: Andy Frisella, who calls it "the mental toughness program" on his official Operator Standard page.
That variation matters when you pick a version: write your rules down before day 1 and do not edit them mid-way. Our tracker has a 75 Soft preset you can edit before starting.
Is 75 Soft too easy to be worth it?
No. 75 Soft still asks for 45 minutes of daily movement, three liters of water, daily reading and an eating standard, every day for 75 days. That is more than many people do in a normal week. It is easier than 75 Hard, but it is not easy, and its flexibility is the point.
Clinicians quoted by Cleveland Clinic and Penn State Health present the softer version as more realistic for building lasting habits. What you lose is the sharp edge of "one slip and you restart," which some people find motivating and others find crushing.
Which should you choose, 75 Hard or 75 Soft?
Choose 75 Hard if you want a test with no grey areas, you have the time for two workouts and you have no health reason to avoid daily intense training. Choose 75 Soft if you need rest days, have a demanding schedule, are returning from injury, or tried 75 Hard and burned out.
A middle option exists too. 75 Medium usually keeps the alcohol ban and adds meditation but allows one workout a day and a 90% diet rule. See all the alternatives, ranked or take the quiz.
Can you switch from 75 Hard to 75 Soft partway through?
You can, but call it what it is: you are starting 75 Soft, and your 75 Hard attempt has ended. Count your 75 Soft day 1 from the day you switch. Changing rules mid-challenge while keeping the count is exactly the habit both versions are designed to break.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to restart 75 Soft if you miss a day?
In the common version, no. Cleveland Clinic's summary says you are not penalized and do not have to start the 75 days over. You are trusted to hold yourself accountable instead, which is why honest daily tracking matters more in 75 Soft.
Can you drink alcohol on 75 Soft?
The common rule allows alcohol on social occasions only. 75 Hard allows none. If you are using 75 Soft to cut back, set your own limit before you start, for example one social occasion a week, and log it alongside your other tasks.
Is there a 75 Soft app?
There is no official 75 Soft app because there is no official owner. Several third-party trackers include a 75 Soft template, and our free browser tracker has an editable 75 Soft preset. See our comparison of 75-day tracker apps.