75 Hard Start Date: Begin Oct 18 to Finish Dec 31, 2026
To finish 75 Hard on New Year's Eve, start on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Day 1 is October 18 and day 75 is Thursday, December 31, so you walk into 2027 already done. If you'd rather finish on New Year's Day, start one day later, on Monday, October 19.
Pick your finish line
| Start (day 1) | Finish (day 75) |
|---|---|
| Tue, Oct 6 (today) | Sat, Dec 19 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | Fri, Dec 25 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | Thu, Dec 31 (New Year's Eve) |
| Mon, Oct 19 | Fri, Jan 1, 2027 |
| Mon, Oct 26 | Fri, Jan 8, 2027 |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Thu, Jan 14, 2027 |
The rule of thumb: day 75 is always 74 days after day 1. People mix this up because October 18 to December 31 looks like "74 days apart", but counting both the first and the last day gives exactly 75.
Your 75 days at a glance (Oct 18 start)
| Week | Dates | Days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 18–24 | 1–7 |
| 2 | Oct 25–31 | 8–14 |
| 3 | Nov 1–7 | 15–21 |
| 4 | Nov 8–14 | 22–28 |
| 5 | Nov 15–21 | 29–35 |
| 6 | Nov 22–28 | 36–42 |
| 7 | Nov 29–Dec 5 | 43–49 |
| 8 | Dec 6–12 | 50–56 |
| 9 | Dec 13–19 | 57–63 |
| 10 | Dec 20–26 | 64–70 |
| 11 | Dec 27–31 | 71–75 |
Milestones: day 25 is Wednesday, November 11, the halfway point (day 38) is Tuesday, November 24, and day 50 is Sunday, December 6. Plan ahead for the hard stretches: US Thanksgiving (November 26, day 40) and the December holidays both fall inside the challenge.
The five daily rules
75 Hard was created by the entrepreneur Andy Frisella, who calls it a "mental toughness program" and offers it free on his website. Every day for 75 days in a row, you must:
- Follow a diet of your choice, with no alcohol and no cheat meals.
- Do two 45-minute workouts, and one of them must be outdoors.
- Drink a gallon of water (about 3.8 litres).
- Read 10 pages of a nonfiction book.
- Take a progress photo.
Miss any one of them, on any day, and you start again from day 1. That "start over" rule is the program's defining feature (CNN). If you restart, your new finish date is simply the restart day plus 74 days.
The workouts don't have to be intense. Frisella's own FAQ says they "could literally be as simple as going for two 45-minute walks."
What experts warn about
The healthy parts (moving every day, reading, cutting out alcohol) are easy to like. Experts interviewed by CNN in March 2026 flagged these risks:
- The gallon of water. A gallon is 16 cups. A Northwestern Medicine dietitian said she does not recommend drinking that much, since forcing it down quickly can upset your sodium balance (hyponatremia). Hydration needs depend on your size, activity and climate.
- Two workouts a day with no rest days. That is far above the US guideline of 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week, and raises the risk of overuse injuries and burnout.
- All-or-nothing thinking. Restarting after one slip can feed a sense of failure, and strict food rules can trigger unhealthy eating patterns, especially for anyone with a history of disordered eating. Daily progress photos can also hurt body image (Fortune).
Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program, and stop if you feel pain.
Easier versions: 75 Soft and the winter arc
75 Soft is a popular gentler version, as described by Fortune: eat well in general and mostly avoid alcohol; one 45-minute workout a day, with one active-recovery day each week; drink 3 litres of water; and read 10 pages of any book. The same start dates work: begin October 18 to finish on December 31.
If you want something looser still, the winter arc trend runs from October to the end of the year with goals you set yourself.
Tips for a fall and winter 75 Hard
- Do the outdoor workout in daylight. In the US the clocks go back on November 1 (see dates), and evenings get dark early.
- Have a bad-weather plan: warm layers, a rain jacket and a walking route you can do in any weather.
- Read first thing in the morning so the 10 pages never get pushed to midnight.
- Plan holiday meals in advance. Thanksgiving and December gatherings are where most people slip.
- Track every day on a calendar or in a notes app. A simple tick per rule is enough.
Quick answers
When should I start 75 Hard to finish by New Year's?
Sunday, October 18, 2026. Day 75 is December 31. Start on October 19 to finish on January 1, 2027.
If I start 75 Hard today, when do I finish?
Starting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, day 75 is Saturday, December 19.
How many days from October 18 to December 31?
75 days if you count both October 18 and December 31, which is how the challenge counts.
Does 75 Hard cost money?
No. The program is free on Andy Frisella's website.
What happens if I miss a day?
Under the official rules you restart at day 1. Under looser versions like 75 Soft, many people simply continue.
