The “75 Hard Challenge” is a popular fitness and self-improvement program originally created by the entrepreneur Andy Frisella.
But do you know the reality of such fitness challenges?
Such challenges are usually started to create hype and for marketing & business purposes.
People usually start it to do their branding, sell their plans, to endorse products/supplements of the companies they’ve been sponsored from. To gain quick social media followers and show you a mind blowing before and after transformation moment.
A similar thing happened lately in India. A guy named ‘Ankit Baiyanpuria’ from the Bayanpur town of Haryana, India took the whole country by storm, especially the Gen-Z when he started with this 75 Hard Challenge.
In the era of social media, who doesn’t crave attention and fame? People want everything overnight and quickly, whether it’s a get-rich-quick scheme or a way for new aspirational YouTubers to go viral.
Ankit Baiyanpuria’s 75 Hard Challenge
Firstly, a big ‘Thumbs Up’ and ‘Respect’ to Ankit Baiyanpuria Bhai for positively influencing India’s youth.
Maybe Ankit’s intention was genuine, and not just gaining quick fame and subscribers, but maybe accidentally, he did gain millions of followers/subscribers and a lot of social media hype after taking this challenge.
But anyway, that’s not the point I’m trying to make.
75 Hard Challenge: Shortcut to Quick Fame & Followers
The point is, that many youngsters saw this challenge as their ticket to gain social media attention and followers.
They blindly jumped onto the bandwagon of this challenge without even considering their health markers, body’s capacity towards physical and mental exhaustion, current fitness levels, and their current lifestyle, etc.
The rules of the challenge are the same, but they just started copying the exact same content & pattern of Ankit’s ’75 hard challenge’ one after another.
Many even made it look very fresh and original by adding their own bits of twists and pieces.
This set off a chain reaction, like a herd of sheep following one another.
At least give credit to Ankit Baiyanpuria – the guy who inspired and influenced you to take this challenge in the first place.
The Problems with the 75 Hard Challenge
(1) Individual Differences
What is working for Ankit, won’t necessarily work for you. One size doesn’t fit all.
This is because of the fact that our bodies, genetics, health markers, fitness levels, physical and mental capacity etc. everything are different from each other.
And this challenge doesn’t take individual differences into consideration.
Just blindly following this trend without considering your own limitations can lead to injuries and health issues.
(2) Physical & Mental Exhaustion
This challenge requires participants to do not one, but two 45-minute workouts daily without fail. It doesn’t even allow for a rest day.
Now, think about it: if you’re starting to work out after a few months due to an injury or any other reason, imagine how physically and mentally exhausted your body will feel.
After an injury or a big break, your body isn’t ready for such rigorous exercises and extreme stress all of a sudden.
This over-exertion can lead to injuries, muscle strains, and burnout – mentally and physically.
(3) No Rest Days
As mentioned above, this challenge doesn’t include any rest days despite making the challenger work out twice for 45 minutes daily.
This can delay recovery and result in a lack of mental clarity, brain fog, and mental fatigue.
Lack of energy and irritability can also be seen amongst challengers.
(4) Toll on Mental Health
Overtraining and delayed recovery, on top of that reading, can be mentally taxing for many individuals if not all. This can lead to stress, anxiety, brain fog, sluggishness, irritability, lack of energy and libido, etc.
You’ll just exhaust yourself and burn out till the end of the challenge.
(5) Unsustainable in the Long Term
As soon as the challenge is over, most of them would struggle to maintain the same level of intensity in their workouts.
Ask yourself – Will be working out twice and live the “75 hard way” forever after completing the challenge? If you’re realistic, you would have got the answer immediately.
(6) Disreguards Medical Conditions
This challenge doesn’t consider any medical conditions that an individual has and neither provides any guidelines for them.
People who have pre-existing health conditions or have already faced some injury in the past should be highly cautious with this challenge as it might do worse than good and lead to further problems.
75 Hard Challenge: Points You Need to Know!
(1) Stop blindly following any trend on the Internet just for social media’s sake or quick fame and subscribers. It can take a toll on your health.
(2) Ankit has probably been living this lifestyle and working out for years. So his body is accustomed to such conditions.
Unlike any Tom, Dick, and Harry who just got influenced by seeing the spike in his followers and thought of living in his shoes all of a sudden or overnight.
(3) Heart attack cases at the gym are rising, and people are blaming the gyms. In reality, those who blindly copy trends and stuff without professional guidance are responsible. Fitness isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon.
(4) Understand and listen to your body. Every rubber band has a different stretching capacity. I can’t keep pulling a weak rubber band. The result? The rubber will simply break!
(5) You’re just believing what they’re showing you on social media. Who knows if they’re actually following all the rules of the challenge? Even if they’ve had pizza or burgers while sitting at home or took a smoke break, do you think these fame-hungry kids who just wanna go viral fame will admit it?
They aren’t mature enough to acknowledge their insecurities. If they were that mature, they wouldn’t blindly follow the herd or wait for any trend to transform themselves.
(6) Instead of following the herd, do something of your own that is realistic and achievable. It should be based on your current fitness levels and limitations, lifestyle, and health conditions – if any.
(7) Thousands of trends will come and go, but you don’t need these trends to transform yourself. You just need to be determined and consistent, taking responsibility for changing yourself.
Conclusion
In the pursuit of quick fame and trends, it’s easy to overlook the hidden challenges of the ’75 Hard Challenge’. While it may offer quick short-term gains, long-term health and well-being should be the ultimate goal.
True transformation comes from a realistic, personalized approach that prioritizes health and consistency over trends and quick fixes.
Remember, the process and your journey matter more than any temporary trend.
