Review written by Silas Grant –

I ordered this book after being introduced to the 75 Hard concept by a good friend. The concept is a mental toughness program that requires willing participants to dedicate 75 days to improving their lives through fitness, reading, and healthy eating all while mapping out the progress on a daily basis. The requirements (critical tasks) are:

1. Two (2) workouts per day – each are required to be 45 minutes long – one (1) must be done outside – and they can not occur consecutively (must be spaced a few hours apart). An outdoor walk, a trip to the gym, setting up a workout in your driveway, a bike ride…all count so long as they are at least 45 minutes a piece.
2. Drink one (1) gallon of water per day
3. Take a progress pic of yourself on the daily. The pic should be of you in minimal clothing so you can see the changes in your body.
4. Select a diet and stick to it for the 75 day period. Whatever you select, stick to it. This is primarily based on the honor system. You know where your weak areas are with food. Attack those areas and cut them out for the 75 day period. Although it is an honor system, the creator of the program states that calorie counting is not permitted. Meaning if you choose a calorie limit diet, that is not an excuse to eat what may be widely considered as junk/unhealthy food so long as you stay under the caloric limit.
5. Read 10 pages of a book per day. Audiobooks are not allowed. The book should be a development book. So self-help books, entrepreneurship books, biographies about leaders, and other productive books are permissible. While audiobooks are not allowed, digital copies are permissible. It must be a book; not magazine, blog entry, or newspaper article.

If you do not complete each of these tasks as prescribed on the daily, you must go back to day 1. For more info, check out this podcast by Andy Frisella, the Founder of 75 Hard.

I began the program and as I write this, I am on day 28. I feel a lot better, lost a few pounds, and I feel more productive. When I was exposed to the program, I found out that the Founder wrote a book about the program. I ordered it and finished the book. It was among my daily readings in the first few days of the program for me.

The concept: The book begins by asking you what would it cost to have 100x more confidence, self-belief, self-esteem, self-worth, discipline, determination, perseverance, and grit. These attributes determine your quality of life. And if you achieve 100x more in these areas, you can become a roadmap for others in their quest to live better. The author, Andy Frisella, is also the Founder of the program. He gives some background on himself and what makes him credible to create the program. He talks about being teased as a child and considering himself to be common. His father inspired him to achieve as he instilled in him a “KILL! KILL! KILL!” mindset when it comes to everything you involve yourself in. As a late teen, he starts a vitamin supplement retail store. He now has a 9-figure business as the CEO of 1st Phorm International; a leading nutritional supplement company. He also runs 6 other businesses. He had a critical moment where he was stabbed by a stranger as he was protecting a woman from this stranger. The event left a vicious wound along his face and traumatized him. It caused depression for a long time until he had a chance encounter with a woman who also had facial injuries from a burn. The conversation changed his perspective and he embraced the concept of “turning scars into strengths”.

As his business life grew he aligned himself without powerful business leaders. This group is called “The Arete Syndicate”. Because he battled with his weight and wellness, the members of the group made a wager with him of $250,000 to get down to 10% body fat before their next meeting which was 75 days away. The high-end wager was what motivated him to develop “75 Hard”.

Key takeaways

The boss vs. the b*tch voice: You are in a war with yourself. The boss voice speaks to your potential for greatness. The b*tch voice speaks fear, discontent, rationalization, and laziness into our minds and hearts. He asks “which voice controls you?”

Critical tasks: The author breaks down each task and the importance of the tasks being done the way he prescribes them. He states that deviation leads to compromise. He strongly suggests that participants not compare themselves to others. Participants should stay focused and don’t become sloppy and careless. These habits are indispensable for people who want to be happy and successful. You should enter a mindset of evaluation over validation.

The eight eras of 75 Hard: The author documents the eight eras or phases based on days within the program. He points out what you may notice happening to you and in you as the days progress. Your standards will raise if you stick to the program. You will refuse to cut corners and will develop pride built on gratitude. One statement in this section that stood out for me was: “People don’t believe affirmations because they can’t. They can’t believe they are special because they haven’t done anything special; They can’t be happy with their life because they haven’t done anything with their life” (paraphrased). He states that belief is earned.

Frequently asked questions: Most questions about the program are from people who have questions about themselves. The key to the program isn’t understanding it..it’s doing it. You will only fully understand and be convinced after you execute. You’ll never start if you need to understand everything before you start.

Final words: Keep your promises you’ve made to yourself. Put what you’ve been exposed to into action. If you embrace 75 Hard, you will be focused and disciplined in calm or chaotic times.

My conclusion is that you should do the program if you buy the book. You should also read the book if you do the program. You have to do both to truly understand the concept and to get the most out of it. Again, I feel better physically and I’ve gained confidence in my abilities as a result of starting the program.