75 Soft challenge: rules, tracker and printable calendar
Seventy-five days of four steady habits: eat well, train, drink water and read. This page explains the 75 Soft rules, how they compare with 75 Hard, how to adjust them to your life, and how to set up a free contract, calendar and daily tracker in a few minutes.
Before you start. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have not trained regularly for a while, check with a doctor before you start training every day. The rules below are a habit plan, not medical advice.
What is the 75 Soft challenge?
75 Soft is an informal, community-made variation of the 75 Hard program. People share it online as a gentler way to build the same kind of daily routine: a few simple rules, kept every day for 75 days. There is no official 75 Soft organization or rulebook, which is why you will see slightly different versions. The point is consistency you can keep up, not intensity.
Challenge Contract is a free tool for running it: a one-page contract you sign with yourself, a 75-day calendar, a lock-screen wallpaper and a daily check-in.
The 75 Soft rules
These four rules are the version most often shared. Every day, for 75 days:
- Eat well, and drink alcohol only on social occasions. There is no set diet. Most people define "eat well" for themselves, for example cooking most meals, eating vegetables every day, or cutting back on takeout. Alcohol is not banned, but it is kept to social events rather than a drink at home.
- Train for 45 minutes, with one active recovery day a week. Any training counts: a run, a gym session, a class, a long walk. On the recovery day you still move, but lightly, such as walking, stretching or yoga.
- Drink about 3 liters of water. Spread it through the day. A marked bottle you refill makes it easy to keep count.
- Read 10 pages. Many versions say any book counts, fiction or nonfiction.
For context, the CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus two days of muscle-strengthening activity (CDC). Six 45-minute sessions a week is well above that, so it is fine to build up to it. On water, the NHS suggests 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day as a general guide, more if you are active or it is hot (NHS). If a doctor has told you to limit fluids, follow their advice instead.
75 Soft vs 75 Hard
75 Hard is a program created by Andy Frisella. Its official rules are published on his website. 75 Soft keeps the 75-day length and the idea of daily rules, and makes each rule easier to fit around work and family. Here is how they line up:
| Rule | 75 Soft | 75 Hard |
|---|---|---|
| Training | One 45-minute session a day, one active recovery day a week | Two 45-minute workouts a day, one of them outdoors |
| Food | Eat well, your own definition | A structured diet of your choice, no cheat meals |
| Alcohol | Only on social occasions | None |
| Water | About 3 liters | One gallon (about 3.8 liters) |
| Reading | 10 pages | 10 pages of nonfiction |
| Progress photo | Not part of the usual rules | Every day |
| Miss a day | No fixed rule; you decide | Start again at day one |
Neither is the right choice for everyone. 75 Hard is designed to be strict, and some people want exactly that. 75 Soft suits people who want a routine they can hold through a normal working week, or who are returning to exercise.
How to adapt the rules
Because 75 Soft has no official version, adjusting it is part of the idea. A few common changes:
- Make "eat well" specific. Something like "Cook dinner at home five nights a week" or "Vegetables with lunch and dinner" is easier to judge at the end of the day.
- Choose your alcohol rule up front. Some people go fully alcohol-free for the 75 days. Others write down which occasions count as social, so the rule does not stretch.
- Scale the training. If 45 minutes a day is a big jump, start at 30 and add time every two weeks. Write the plan into your contract so it is a rule, not a negotiation.
- Fix the recovery day. Picking a day, such as Sunday, stops it from moving around the week.
- Add a rule carefully. A set bedtime or ten minutes of journaling are common extras. Keep the total to three to six rules.
How to track 75 Soft with this site
- Open the contract builder. Start a 75 Soft contract with the four rules already filled in and the length set to 75 days. The default start is next Monday; you can change it.
- Edit and sign. Add your name, adjust the rules to your version, and sign.
- Print the calendar. Printing gives you your signed contract plus a 75-day calendar over two pages, with a small box for each rule on every day. Use Save as PDF in the print dialog if you want a file instead.
- Save the wallpaper. Put your rules on your phone's lock screen so you see them every time you pick it up.
- Check in every evening. The daily tracker shows your streak and your perfect days. It runs in your browser, works offline and needs no account.
Missed a day? Never miss twice
Over 75 days, a missed workout or a skipped reading session is likely. What matters most is what you do the next day.
The rule printed on every calendar here is never miss twice. Mark the missed day honestly, then keep all your rules the following day. One miss is a slip; two in a row is how a new habit fades. If your version of 75 Soft includes a restart rule, follow the one you signed. If a rule keeps failing for the same reason, change the rule rather than giving up on the challenge.
More challenges
Questions
What are the 75 Soft rules?
The version most often shared has four daily rules for 75 days: eat well and drink alcohol only on social occasions; train for 45 minutes, with one active recovery day a week; drink about 3 liters of water; and read 10 pages of a book. There is no official rulebook, so many people adjust them.
What is the difference between 75 Soft and 75 Hard?
75 Hard is a program by Andy Frisella with five daily tasks, including two 45-minute workouts, a structured diet with no alcohol, a gallon of water and a daily progress photo, and you restart at day one if you miss anything. 75 Soft is an informal, gentler variation with one workout a day, a weekly recovery day and no fixed restart rule.
Do I have to restart 75 Soft if I miss a day?
There is no official restart rule. Many people carry on after a missed day; others choose to restart. Decide before day one and write it into your contract. The rule used on this site is never miss twice: one missed day is a slip, two in a row is the pattern to avoid.
Is there a free 75 Soft tracker or printable PDF?
Yes. The contract builder on this site is free and needs no account. It prints your signed contract plus a 75-day calendar over two pages, and you can choose Save as PDF in your browser's print dialog. It also makes a lock-screen wallpaper and a daily tracker that stays in your browser.
When should I start 75 Soft?
Any day works. A Monday start keeps the weeks tidy and makes it easy to plan your recovery day. Seventy-five days is just under 11 weeks, so look ahead for trips, holidays and busy weeks and plan how you will keep the rules on those days.
75 Soft is an informal variation shared online. Challenge Contract is not affiliated with 75 Hard, Andy Frisella or 1st Phorm.