This post is all about 75 Hard challenge workout ideas.
Are you thinking about trying 75 Hard? Or are you running out of workout ideas?
No matter the case, this blog post is filled with 75 Hard challenge workout ideas that will keep you active for your twice-daily indoor and outdoor workouts.
I attempted the 75 Hard program and got 55 days in when I decided to quit.
75 Hard is definitely a tough challenge with strict rules, and even though I didn’t finish it completely, it definitely transformed my physical appearance and helped me build healthy habits.
Before we dive in, and as a reminder, the 75 Hard challenge rules are as follows:
1. Drink a gallon of water.
2. Two 45-minute workouts.
3. Take daily progress pictures.
4. Follow a healthy, balanced diet of your choosing. No cheat meals or alcohol.
5. Read 10 pages of a personal development book.
My biggest piece of advice when it comes to the workouts is to find exercises that you truly enjoy. Things will start to get old fast (since you have to do two workouts a day) so you want to keep things fun and have lots of variety.
75 Hard is a great opportunity to try new workouts and find ones that you really like. And in this post, we talk about all the options that you have.
While 75 Hard is a “transformative mental toughness program” and not a weight loss program or a fitness challenge, the exercise you’ll do is going to feel like a huge part of the challenge – because it is!
If you want more 75 Hard tips, here’s my post with 27 Crucial 75 Hard Tips For Success.
But first, let’s start off with workouts that are off limits.
Workouts That Don’t Count For 75 Hard
According to Andy Frisella, motivational speaker, supplement company owner, and creator of 75 Hard, the following exercises are not approved:
— Mowing the lawn
— Yard work
— Skiing / Snowboarding
— Stretching
— Kayaking
— Canoeing
— Golfing
— Baseball / Softball
— Other leisure sports
— Moving (as in, moving from one home to another)
According to the 75 Hard website, Andy Frisella states that these workouts are classic examples of finding ways to make the challenge easier.
Why? Because these are things that are already a part of your daily routine, and because of that, they don’t count.
Now, let’s get into the workouts that are allowed.
Quick Navigation:
- Cardio Workouts for 75 Hard
- Strength Workouts for 75 Hard
Here is a list of the best 75 Hard challenge workout ideas for your twice-daily, 45 minute workouts. Remember, one must occur outdoors. These workouts are great no matter your current fitness level.
Cardio Workouts For 75 Hard
Here, we dive into the specific cardio workouts that you can do during your 75 Hard challenge.
According to VeryWellFit.com, cardio workouts or “cardiovascular exercise is exercise that raises your heart rate and keeps it elevated for a period of time. Another name for it is aerobic exercise.”
1. Walking
Walking is a great workout for 75 Hard, especially as your outdoor workout. Just make sure that you are walking briskly, and not leisurely.
Andy Frisella himself wears a weighted vest during his walking workouts to make the walk more challenging, but you don’t need to do this.
While walking, if you really want to amp up your personal development, you can listen to your favorite podcasts or audio books. You can, of course, also listen to music.
Just remember that audiobooks do not count toward your 10 pages of reading each day for the challenge. Audiobooks are not allowed – you must read a physical, tangible book.
Here’s a list of books that are great to read for the 75 Hard challenge.
2. Running
Running is also a great workout, for outdoor and indoor purposes.
If you want to see how much distance you are running, I recommend the app MapMyRun. It’s owned by Under Armour, it’s free, and it does a great job of tracking time, pace, distance, and elevation.
If you want a bit more structure for your running workout, see if you have any Stride classes in your area. Stride is a group fitness class where for most of the class you are on a treadmill and a coach is telling you what to do.
Stride is a great workout that involves all fitness levels.
3. HIIT
According to Medical News Today, HIIT workouts are “short bursts of intense exercise followed by a period of rest or low intensity workouts.”
HIIT workouts are generally shorter (so you may have to add on a bit of exercise at the end to meet your 45-minute quota) but these workouts are tough.
Perhaps one of the most well-known HIIT workouts are those created by Kayla Itsines. They are 28-minute workouts that incorporate body weight exercises and weights. They will for sure leave you super sore the next few days – but at least you’ll know that they’re working!
If you live in Florida, you can also attend a Fit Body Boot Camp Class. These classes are less than 30 minutes long but they are intense! They are the perfect HIIT workout if you want to sweat like crazy and you’re short on time.
4. Play sports (basketball, soccer, pickleball, etc.)
If you like sports, this is a great way to get exercise during your 75 Hard challenge. Not only are sports challenging, but they’re also really fun and can be played with friends.
Why not try a sport you’ve never done before? My boyfriend and I have been playing pickleball and we love it. It’s so much fun and such a good workout!
5. Dancing
If you are someone who likes dancing, that can absolutely be one of your workouts.
If you belong to your local gym, see if they offer any Zumba classes.
6. Biking
Biking is another great cardio exercise. And, it can be done inside or outdoors!
Whether you use a stationary bike inside your gym, or you ride your own personal bike around your neighborhood or through a local trail, biking is a great way to get in one of your 75 Hard workouts.
There are also cycling classes at group fitness studios that are incredible workouts.
7. Stadium stairs
If you live near a stadium (say, a local high school with a football stadium), why not try running on their stadium stairs?
This could be a really fun, different kind of workout that will definitely challenge your endurance. Oftentimes, stadiums also have tracks around the football field, so you can mix in a little running, too, while you’re at it.
8. Go for a hike
This is something that I see Andy Frisella do often for his outdoor workout.
I mentioned earlier that he likes to go walking with weight on his back – which is also called “rucking”. But even if you don’t want to add a weighted vest or something similar for your hike, you’ll still get a great workout.
9. Rowing machine
If you’ve ever gone to an Orangetheory class, then you are definitely familiar with the rowing machine.
This exercise is incredible if you want to get your heart rate up and really push yourself.
10. Swimming
If you live by the ocean or belong to a pool, swimming is another fantastic cardio exercise that you can do for 75 Hard.
11. Bodyboarding / Surfing
The same goes for body boarding or surfing. As long as you are constantly moving and having to push yourself (and the exercise is not a part of your normal, daily routine) it is OK for 75 Hard.
12. Boxing
If you’ve never tried boxing, it’s definitely worth going to a class. I belonged to Title Boxing Club back in the day, and really enjoyed it.
It’s also a great exercise if you are the kind of person who needs to blow off some steam.
Strength Workouts For 75 Hard
If you want a well-rounded fitness experience throughout your 75 Hard challenge, it’s best if you incorporate strength training workouts, too.
Here are some awesome ways to add strength training to your 75 Hard routine.
1. Weightlifting at the gym
If you belong to a local gym, or if your apartment complex offers a gym for free, head there to do some weightlifting.
If you are a beginner, and you don’t really know where to start, I highly recommend downloading the Alive App by Whitney Simmons.
It is the only app or fitness program that I have tried that’s not only taught me so much about weight lifting, but also given me the confidence to finally start doing it in a gym.
The app has a free trial, so don’t hesitate to check it out if that’s something you’re interested in!
You can also read my Alive App review to get a better understanding of what the app offers.
2. Yoga
Believe it or not, yoga is another great exercise for strength training.
You don’t need to be flexible to do yoga, either (I certainly am not!). So if that’s a concern of yours, don’t worry about it! However, yoga will definitely be something that increases your flexibility and mobility if you stay consistent with it.
Yoga is also a great exercise if you are looking for a way to introduce some introspection or some calm into your life.
Additionally, you obviously can’t take a rest day when you’re doing 75 Hard, but if you want to do an exercise that is a little easier on your joints and slower paced, yoga is a great option.
3. Crossfit
Perhaps one of the more challenging strength training workouts is Crossfit.
I tried Crossfit for the first time a few months ago, and I felt that it was tough to get used to as someone who had never done Olympic-style lifting before.
Olympic lifting includes the barbell snatch and the barbell clean and jerk.
Olympic lifting requires a bit of technique and is a little bit more complicated than the standard weight lifting that you’ll see most people doing at gyms.
However, according to BodyBuilding.com, “Olympic lifts can help you improve just about everything else you go to the gym for: muscle mass, strength, athleticism, endurance—you name it.”
If you’re more experienced when it comes to weight lifting, or if you just want to try something new, you should check out your local Crossfit gym.
4. Orangetheory
I briefly touched on Orangetheory earlier, but Orangetheory is a fantastic, well-rounded workout.
You can read my review for Orangetheory beginners, but essentially, it incorporates running (or walking), rowing, and strength training.
It is a challenging workout and rarely the same from day to day, and it makes for a great workout every time.
5. Pilates
According to Healthline, Pilates “is a system of exercises designed to enhance the body’s potential by correcting muscular imbalances, finding optimal alignment, and creating efficient movement patterns.”
Pilates is tough but it will definitely help strengthen muscles you didn’t even know you had!
6. Self-defense class
If you’ve ever wanted to take a self-defense class, now’s the time to try.
Self-defense classes are a great way to get exercise, and learn how to protect yourself in case a time like that ever comes.
Other Options For 75 Hard Workouts
Here are a few more things you can consider for your 75 Hard fitness journey.
1. Hire a certified personal trainer
If you really want to make sure the workouts you are doing are helping you get in better shape, you can hire a personal trainer.
This can be pretty pricey, but hiring a personal trainer is a great way to follow a fitness plan, set and hit goals, have someone hold you accountable, and make sure that the work you are putting in is really going to pay off.
2. Try Classpass
I recently signed up for Classpass and I am obsessed!
For a monthly fee, you are given credits. Then, you can use these credits to attend any fitness studios that are partnered up with Classpass.
So far, I’ve used my Classpass credits to attend Stride classes (the running classes I mentioned above), cycling classes, and soon, I’ll use my credits to attend yoga and pilates classes.
I love Classpass because it’s affordable, and it makes it so I don’t have to commit to only one fitness studio – I can do all sorts of classes!
If you want to try Classpass for yourself, feel free to use my referral link 🙂
Final Thoughts
Even though I only completed 55 days of the 75 Hard challenge, there’s no doubt I saw physical changes. I didn’t lose a ton of weight, but I did lose body fat. You can see some of results in my post about my 30 day update.
I am sure that if you incorporate two workouts every day for 75 days that you, too, will see physical changes.
You will also likely notice changes in your confidence and the way you carry yourself. Your level of discipline will be forced to increase and you will build better habits.
75 Hard is tough, there’s no doubt about it. But if you can stick it out for as long as possible, you will see results and walk away with an improved, healthy lifestyle. And that’s coming from someone who only made it to day 55! You got this 🙂
This post was all about the best 75 Hard challenge workout ideas.
Other posts you might like:
27 Crucial Tips For Surviving The 75 Hard Challenge
75 HARD Challenge Rules and Review After 15 Days (2023)
75 HARD Before And After Day 30 (With Progress Picture)
75 Hard Challenge Review After 45 Days
