75 Hard Starting January 1, 2027: Dates, Rules, a December Prep Plan and a Free 75-Day Tracker

Quick answer: If you start 75 Hard on Friday, January 1, 2027, Day 75 is Tuesday, March 16, 2027. Halfway (Day 38) is Sunday, February 7. Every day you follow 5 rules: a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), a gallon of water (about 3.8 L), 10 pages of non-fiction and a progress photo. Miss one, and the official format sends you back to Day 1. Below: every key date, a 4-week December prep plan, honest safety notes and a free printable 75-day tracker.

January 1 is the most popular day of the year to start 75 Hard. It's also the hardest: it's dark, it's cold, you're coming off the holidays, and you have to do one of your workouts outside.

That doesn't mean it's a bad idea. It means the people who finish are the ones who prepare in December instead of deciding on New Year's Eve. This guide is your December.

Harder is independent and not affiliated with Andy Frisella, 1st Phorm or the official 75 Hard program. We use the name only to describe the challenge.

75 Hard was created by entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella, who describes it as a mental toughness program rather than a fitness plan. Every day, for 75 days in a row:

If you miss any rule, you start again from Day 1. That's the official format, and it's what makes the challenge "hard". On our tracker there's an attempt number box, because a lot of people need two or three attempts, and a second attempt is still progress.

The hard days: Valentine's Day (Day 45), birthdays, work dinners and weekends away. Decide now what you'll eat and when you'll train on those days. Write them on page 1 of the tracker.

Starting on another day? Day 75 is always 74 days after Day 1. The undated tracker works for any start date.

75 Hard is popular because it's simple and strict. It's also criticised for exactly the same reasons. Here's the honest picture.

The exercise load is high. Two 45-minute workouts is 90 minutes a day, or about 10.5 hours a week. As Fortune points out, that's more than four times the 150 minutes a week the CDC recommends. Trainer Hannah Davis (CSCS) warned there's "a very high risk of overtraining if you aren't intentional with your programming." The fix: make one of the two workouts easy. A 45-minute walk counts.

More water isn't always better. A gallon is a lot for some people, especially smaller people or anyone with kidney or heart conditions. Sip it across the day instead of drinking large amounts quickly, and stop forcing it late at night. Drinking too much water too fast can lower the sodium in your blood (hyponatremia), which can be dangerous.

All-or-nothing can backfire. Registered dietitian Amanda Holtzer told Fortune that calling food a "cheat meal" is "attaching morality to food", and that feeling like you "failed" can lead to disordered thinking about food and your body. If you have a history of disordered eating, 75 Hard's diet rule is not the right challenge for you.

Check with a doctor first if you have any health condition, are pregnant, or haven't exercised in a long time.

For the evidence behind each rule, read 75 Hard: what the science says. For a personal take, see what 75 Hard got right and wrong.

75 Soft is a lighter community version. The rules vary, but a common version is: eat well and only drink alcohol at social occasions, one 45-minute workout a day with one active recovery day a week, about 3 litres of water, and 10 pages of any book. Pick your rules before Day 1 and write them on the tracker. The tracker works for both: if you're doing 75 Soft, just leave the second workout box blank.

Many people drop out of 75 Hard in the first two weeks, not because they're weak, but because they make a dozen decisions on Day 1 that they could have made in December.

Pick your diet. Write it down in one sentence: "No added sugar, protein at every meal, no alcohol." Vague diets break first.

Pick your two workouts. Workout 1 (e.g. gym, home strength, a class). Workout 2 (outdoors: walking, running, cycling).

Choose your first 3 books. Non-fiction you actually want to read.

Do one "test day" with all 5 rules. You'll find out how long it really takes (often 2.5–3 hours including showers).

Measure your water. Find a bottle size and decide how many refills make a gallon (e.g. 5 × 750 ml).

Test the outdoor workout in the dark and cold. Do you have layers, gloves, a hat and reflective gear?

Block your workouts in your January calendar like meetings.

List the hard days (Valentine's Day, birthdays, trips, work events) and write a "When... I will..." plan for each.

Tell one person what you're doing and ask them to check in on Day 3, Day 21 and Day 50.

Print the tracker and fill in page 1: your plan, your why, your start date.

Take a "Day 0" photo in the light and spot you'll use every day.

Enjoy the holidays. You don't need to start early. If you want to keep your current habits alive through December, use the Holiday Minimum Plan.

January tip: do the outdoor workout in daylight whenever you can. It's safer, warmer and much easier to start.

Good news: if you start 75 Hard on January 1, you're already doing Dry January, because 75 Hard bans alcohol for all 75 days. If you want a gentler first step, do Dry January first and start 75 Hard (or 75 Soft) on February 1. You'd finish on April 16, 2027.

Four pages, in two designs (purple HARDER and a warm neutral edition), A4 and US Letter.

Page 1: Setup. The 5 rules with a "my plan" line for each, your why, your attempt number, key dates (Day 1, 38, 50, 75 and the hard days), and three boxes to tape your Day 1, Day 38 and Day 75 photos.

Pages 2–4: Days 1–75. One row per day: diet, workout 1, workout 2 (outside), water, 10 pages, photo, an "all 5" box and one word about the day. Milestone rows at Day 25, 38, 50 and 75.

Dated for January 1 – March 16, 2027 (no signup):

Purple: A4 · US Letter

Warm neutral: A4 · US Letter

Undated (start any day):

Purple: A4 · US Letter

Warm neutral: A4 · US Letter

How to use it: tick each rule as you do it, not all at once at bedtime. Stick it somewhere you'll see it every evening. Tape your Day 1 photo on page 1: you'll want it on Day 75.

It happens. A missed workout on Day 19, a glass of wine at a wedding on Day 52. In the official format, you go back to Day 1.

What matters is what you do the next morning. Write your new attempt number on the tracker, take your photo and start Day 1 again. A second attempt is not a failure: you already know how to do 18 or 51 days, which most people never find out. Our guide to coming back after you fall off has more on this.

And if the strict format isn't working for you, that's useful information, not a character flaw. Switch to 75 Soft or a shorter challenge with a clear finish line. See why a challenge beats a resolution.

Rule 5 is a daily progress photo, which is exactly how Harder works. Post each day's proof, keep all 75 days in one place, and do it alongside other people starting on the same day. When everyone around you is also on Day 23 in the cold, it's much harder to skip.

When does 75 Hard end if I start on January 1, 2027? On Tuesday, March 16, 2027. Halfway (Day 38) is Sunday, February 7.

What are the 75 Hard rules? Every day for 75 days: follow a diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, do two 45-minute workouts (one outdoors), drink a gallon of water (about 3.8 litres), read 10 pages of a non-fiction book and take a progress photo.

What happens if I miss a rule? In the official format, you start again from Day 1. Our tracker has an attempt number box so you can keep a record of every attempt.

Is 75 Hard safe? It's a lot for many people: 90 minutes of exercise a day is more than four times the CDC's weekly minimum, and a gallon of water is too much for some bodies. Make one workout easy, sip water through the day, and check with a doctor if you have a health condition, are pregnant or have a history of disordered eating.

Can I do 75 Hard outdoors in winter? Yes, with preparation: layers, a hat and gloves, reflective gear in the dark, and shoes with grip on ice. Do the outdoor workout in daylight when you can. A brisk 45-minute walk counts.

What is 75 Soft? A lighter community version. A common set of rules: eat well, alcohol only at social occasions, one 45-minute workout a day with one recovery day a week, about 3 litres of water, and 10 pages of any book. Rules vary, so write yours down before Day 1.

Do audiobooks count for 75 Hard? Not in the official rules. You have to read 10 pages yourself.

Is there a free 75 Hard tracker? Yes. Our printable tracker is free with no signup: dated for January 1 to March 16, 2027, or undated, in A4 and US Letter.

Is Harder affiliated with 75 Hard? No. Harder is independent and not affiliated with Andy Frisella, 1st Phorm or the official 75 Hard program.

Start Jan 1, 2027 → finish Tue, Mar 16, 2027. Halfway is Sun, Feb 7.

5 rules, every day: diet, two workouts (one outside), a gallon of water, 10 pages, a photo.

Prepare in December: decide, test, plan the hard days, then print the tracker.

Make one workout easy and sip, don't chug, your water.

Missed a rule? Write your attempt number and start Day 1 the next morning.

Sparacino, A. (2024). The 75 Hard challenge: rules, benefits, risks and alternatives. Fortune Well, January 15, 2024 (expert quotes from Amanda Holtzer, MS, RD, and Hannah Davis, CSCS; 75 Soft rules; CDC comparison).

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical activity guidelines for adults: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week.