The 75 Medium challenge: rules, and who it suits
75 Medium sits between 75 Soft and 75 Hard. It asks for one solid workout a day, a step count, real water and clean food. It does not ask for 90 minutes of training. That makes it the version most people with a 9-to-5 can finish.
If your days look like this, it was made for you:
“I get up at 6:40 for work. And get home around 6:30.”
What is the 75 Medium challenge?
75 Medium is a community version of 75 Hard. 75 Hard is Andy Frisella's programme, and the name is a trademark. 75 Medium grew out of it on social media, so no one owns it and there is no official rulebook. You will find a few versions online. The rules below are the most common set.
What are the 75 Medium rules?
Every day, for 75 days:
- One 45-minute workout. Any kind: weights, a run, a class, a long walk.
- 10,000 steps. Your workout steps count toward it.
- Drink 96 ounces of water. That is about 2.8 litres.
- Eat clean, with one flex meal a week. Mostly whole food. One meal a week is yours to choose.
- Read 10 pages. Most versions take any book.
Some versions add 10 minutes of quiet time a day, or a weekly rest day. Pick your version before day one and do not change it halfway.
Is 75 Medium harder than 75 Soft?
A little. The step goal is the main extra. 10,000 steps is about 7 to 8 kilometres, or 80 to 100 minutes on your feet across the day. With a desk job, that is the rule you will feel. 75 Soft has no step goal and allows one easy day a week.
Compared with 75 Hard, 75 Medium cuts the training in half: 45 minutes, not 90, with no outdoor rule. It also allows one flex meal a week, where 75 Hard allows none.
See all three side by side in 75 Soft vs 75 Medium vs 75 Hard.
Can you do 75 Medium with a full-time job?
Yes, and that is the main reason people pick it. The hard part is not the workout. It is the hour after work, when the plan meets the couch:
“I sit down “for a minute” and the evening disappears.”
“by 8 PM, after eating, I’m completely out of energy.”
The fix is to decide where each rule lives in your day, before the day starts. Do not leave it to the evening.
A 75 Medium week for a 9-to-5
Save this and adjust the times to your own day.
Monday to Friday
- 6:45 am: 500 ml of water before coffee.
- Lunch: a 20-minute walk. About 2,500 steps.
- Desk: a 1-litre bottle, filled twice before 4 pm.
- 6:30 pm: the workout, before you sit down. Change straight into your gym clothes when you get home.
- After dinner: a 15-minute walk. About 2,000 steps.
- In bed: 10 pages.
Saturday
- A longer workout or a hike. The step goal looks after itself.
- Your flex meal, if you want it this week.
Sunday
- An easy workout: a long walk, a swim, a mobility session.
- Plan the next week's meals and workout slots in 15 minutes.
Does a walk count as the 75 Medium workout?
Yes. A brisk 45-minute walk counts. It also covers about half your steps. Many people walk on 2 or 3 days and lift on the others. That mix is a good start if you have not trained in a while.
What if I miss a day on 75 Medium?
Most people follow the 75 Hard rule: a missed task means day one again. Some log the miss and carry on. Choose your rule before you start, and keep it.
Who is 75 Medium for?
- You work full time and want one workout a day, not two.
- You sit most of the day and want the step goal to get you moving.
- You tried 75 Hard and the two workouts broke you.
- You want more structure than 75 Soft gives.
If the step goal is too much right now, start with 75 Soft. If you want the full test, read the 75 Hard rules.
Fit75 is an iPhone app for 75-day challenges, and 75 Medium is one of its built-in plans, with these five tasks. It also has 75 Easy, 75 Hard and your own list.
Fit75 is a 75-day challenge app and is not affiliated with 75 Hard.
The quiz below asks how much time you really have after work, and fits the plan to it.