What Is The 75 Soft Challenge?

Plotting your 2025 fitness goals? If a year of self-care and self-improvement is on the cards, then you might want to give the 75 Soft Challenge a go. A step back from the high intensity of its ‘Hard’ predecessor, this TikTok-approved trial takes a more moderate approach – meaning we might actually have a chance of keeping up. Here’s everything you need to know, plus how to get started.

What Is The 75 Soft Challenge?

An alternative to the 75 Hard Challenge, the 75 Soft Challenge is a 75-day plan that combines a flexible mix of daily healthy eating, exercise, hydration and reading goals to help improve a participant’s overall wellbeing.

What Are The Rules?

There are four rules in total, which must be followed every day of the challenge. These are:

1. Eat well, incorporating more nutritious foods into your diet – you can only drink alcohol on social occasions
2. Do a 45 minute workout everyday, with one day a week dedicated to active recovery
3. Drink three litres of water a day
4. Read 10 pages of any book a day

@virginiadesean Here ard the rules: 1. Take a before pic 2. Work out for 45 min a day 3. Eat clean (w/1 soft cheat meal a week) 4. Drink 100 oz a day (about 3 liters) 5.Read 10 pages of any book Add or edit your own rules to fit your lifestyle! #75softchallenge #lifestylechange #healthyhabit #consistencyiskey ♬ original sound – Stephen Gallagher

When Do You Start It?

While many people like to take on the challenge from the beginning of the year, there is no right time to start. As long as you complete the 75 days, you can start anytime.

Who Created The 75 Soft Challenge?

Irish fitness influencer Stephen Gallagher is credited with creating the 75 Soft Challenge, having posted a video about it in April 2021 – but talk about the challenge dates back as far as 2019, when lifestyle site The Pohhu Experience created its own rendition of the 75 Hard Challenge. (The 75 Soft Challenge itself is inspired by Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard Challenge, which regularly cycles back into fashion each January.)

What Are The Rules Of The 75 Hard Challenge?

As the name suggests, the original 75 Hard Challenge is much more difficult. It’s comprised of five rules, which all must be followed each day – otherwise the challenge resets itself for another 75 days. The rules are:

1. Follow a nutrition plan of your choice – but no alcohol or cheat meals are allowed at all
2. Do two 45-minute workouts, at least one of which should be outdoors
3. Drink a gallon (3.8 litres) of water
4. Read 10 pages of a non-fiction, business or self-improvement book
5. Take a progress picture

You can find out more about the 75 Hard Challenge (and whether it’s worth your time) here.

@desiraeglp1journey Yall im excited and nervous to start again, but this time I aint playin around! 💪 #weightloss #75softchallenge #75challenge #plussizelifestyle #fitnessgoals #fitnessmotivation #plussizeworkout #plussize #fitnessjourney #biggirl ♬ Being a Girl – Jonica

75 Soft vs 75 Hard: Which Is Better?

Short answer: it depends. ‘Both the 75 Hard and 75 Soft Challenges are excellent ways to kick-start a decision to improve your health and overall well-being,’ notes Sam Deville, founder of the dynamic online platform Sam Deville Pilates. ‘However, they cater to different personality types and lifestyles.

‘The 75 Hard Challenge is about pushing limits and building mental resilience, requiring strict discipline and a significant time commitment,’ she explains. ‘While I admire its ambition, it’s a step too far for most people. With busy lives, full-time jobs, and family responsibilities, dedicating 90 minutes daily to exercise in two separate sessions is impractical for many. It risks setting people up for failure because the extreme demands are often unsustainable.

‘In comparison, the 75 Soft Challenge is more achievable,’ she adds. ‘It’s still a meaningful commitment and will yield great results, but offers the flexibility needed to fit into a busy lifestyle. By focusing on sustainable habits rather than rigid rules, it reduces the risk of burnout and supports long-term success. What I love most about the challenge is prioritising the idea of consistency which is the key to success when it comes to fitness.’

Does It Work?

While it might be a good way to adopt better habits that can improve your overall health, The Pohhu Experience has noted that it’s not necessarily a foolproof way to get fitter. ‘Initially, I made it for myself back in 2019 inspired by the popular 75 Hard Challenge,’ he writes. ‘Back then I wanted a challenge to kick myself back in gear with better habits as I felt myself slipping away putting health/fitness on the back burner. 75hard wasn’t realistic at that moment in time for me, but I still wanted something to pull me back into the right direction, and so #75soft was born.

‘[But] this challenge isn’t supposed to be sustainable,’ he continues. ‘It’s a challenge to push you to your limits. To show you what you’re capable of. It’s the essence of being consistent and patient. You’ll definitely be making fat loss and muscle gain progress during these 75 days, but that’s not the main point. The goal is to show you what you’re capable of, so after the 75 days you can create a plan that you can sustain for the long term to continuously make progress towards your goals year to year.’

So, with this in mind, it’s probably best to approach the whole experience as a fun challenge – not something you must do in order to improve your fitness.

@annamelville 5/75🤍☁️✨ #75hard #75hardchallenge #75medium #75soft ♬ Me and U No Relation Remix – No Relation

How To Get Started

Regardless of whether you’re going Hard, Medium or Soft for the next 75 days, the thought of taking on a challenge can seem quite daunting. And sometimes the biggest hurdle of all can be just getting started.

‘When taking on a challenge, it’s crucial to know and focus on your long-term goal – but it’s even more important to enjoy the process,’ says Rilwan Anibaba, an athlete and F45 fitness coach. Below, Rilwan shares some of his tips for getting started on the 75 Soft Challenge:

• Ease In: Build slowly into the challenge, gradually increasing intensity, this means taking rest days. Even elite athletes take rest days because they know overtraining can negatively impact their performance.
• Stay Consistent: Develop a routine that you know will work for you—consistency is key. So, if your work schedule can be too hectic for evening sessions, prioritise morning or lunch time sessions as you know these will be more realistic to stick to.
• Keep Track: Find accountability, whether through training with friends that have similar goals or a tracking journal. These strategies can turn a six-week challenge into a lasting lifestyle change.
• Don’t Give Up: Finally remember, even if you stumble – miss a day or even a week – remember you can restart, readjust, and continue working towards your goals throughout the year.

Featured image: RF Studio, Pexels