The 75 Soft challenge: the rules, and how to start after 75 Hard broke you
75 Soft is the gentler cousin of 75 Hard. It keeps the 75 days and the daily list. It drops the parts that break most people: two workouts a day, a gallon of water and a strict diet with zero slips.
If you have tried 75 Hard and fallen off, you are in good company. People on the 75 Hard forum say it plainly:
“I’ve had 12 attempts!”
“Seeing day one again after being that close is tough.”
75 Soft is often where those people go next. Here is what it asks, and how to make it stick.
What is 75 Soft?
75 Soft is a 75-day challenge with four daily rules. It is a community version of 75 Hard. It spread on TikTok and Reddit around 2022, and no one company owns it. That also means there is no official rulebook. The rules below are the version most people use.
75 Hard is Andy Frisella's programme, and the name is a trademark. 75 Soft borrows the shape and makes each rule lighter.
What are the 75 Soft rules?
Every day, for 75 days:
- Eat well. No strict diet is named. Eat mostly whole food, and drink alcohol only at social events.
- Train for 45 minutes. One session a day. One day a week can be active recovery: a walk, a stretch, yoga, an easy swim.
- Drink 3 litres of water. That is about 101 ounces, or roughly 6 bottles of 500 ml.
- Read 10 pages. Any book counts, fiction too.
That is the whole list. No progress photo, no second workout, no outdoor rule.
Is 75 Soft easier than 75 Hard?
Yes, by a wide margin. Here is the daily load side by side:
- Workouts: 75 Hard asks for 90 minutes in two sessions, one outdoors. 75 Soft asks for 45 minutes, with one easy day a week.
- Water: 75 Hard asks for a gallon (128 oz). 75 Soft asks for 3 litres (about 101 oz).
- Food: 75 Hard bans alcohol and cheat meals. 75 Soft asks you to eat well and keep alcohol social.
- Reading: 75 Hard asks for non-fiction. 75 Soft takes any book.
- Photos: 75 Hard asks for one every day. 75 Soft does not.
Easier does not mean easy. 75 days of 45-minute workouts is still about 56 hours of training. Most people have never done that in one stretch.
For a fuller comparison, read 75 Soft vs 75 Medium vs 75 Hard.
What happens if you miss a day on 75 Soft?
In 75 Hard, a missed task sends you back to day one. 75 Soft has no fixed rule for this. Most people choose one of two paths before they start:
- Strict: a missed day means day one again, the same as 75 Hard.
- Keep going: log the miss, and do the next day in full.
Pick one now, on day zero, and write it down. Deciding in the moment is how a miss turns into a week off. One person put that slide in exact words:
“the third day becomes much harder than the first.”
If 75 Hard reset you many times, the keep-going path is worth a look. The goal is 75 days of habits, not a perfect streak. For the day after a miss, read how to restart a workout habit.
Can I drink alcohol on 75 Soft?
The common rule says yes, at social events only. A beer at a friend's birthday fits. A six-pack alone on a Tuesday does not. If you want a cleaner test, drop alcohol for the 75 days. That is your choice, not the rule.
Does a walk count as a workout on 75 Soft?
A 45-minute walk counts on your active recovery day. On the other six days, most people do something harder: weights, a run, a class, a bike ride. If a fast walk is hard work for you right now, count it. Be honest with yourself.
How to start 75 Soft this week
- Pick your start day. Tomorrow is fine. You do not need a Monday.
- Choose your recovery day. Sunday works for most people.
- Set your miss rule. Strict or keep going. Write it down.
- Get a 1-litre bottle. Three refills and you are done.
- Put a book by your bed. 10 pages takes about 15 minutes.
- Plan your first 7 workouts. 45 minutes each, at a time you will keep.
- Choose a tracker. Paper or phone, but one place only.
Track it day by day
A tick per rule per day is enough. We made a free one-page 75 Soft tracker you can print. If you are also weighing up the stricter version, here are the 75 Hard rules explained and the middle option, 75 Medium.
Fit75 is an iPhone app for 75-day challenges. It has 75 Easy, 75 Medium and 75 Hard built in, and you can set your own four rules for 75 Soft.
Fit75 is a 75-day challenge app and is not affiliated with 75 Hard.
If you have restarted before, the quiz below asks what went wrong last time and plans your 75 days around it.