As a former New York native, I jumped at the opportunity to experience the global fitness phenomenon that is Hyrox when the Manhattan race date was slated for June 1. I didn’t have many expectations when I set out on the 10-hour drive from my small town outside Charlotte, NC, to Hudson River Park’s Pier 76, but the showing far surpassed any presumptions. Even at my 6:40p.m. start time, the pier was packed with spectators snaking around the course events to cheer on participants. In total, over 5,000 competitors ran, rowed, and lunged along the 5-acre pier.
From my time as a collegiate swimmer and competitive CrossFitter, I’ve experienced my fair share of high-caliber athletic events. I’ve watched CrossFit Games from the stands and tackled Spartan Races, Tough Mudders, and triathlons, but the Hyrox workout is completely new. Imagine a fitness competition with the vibes of a multi-day music festival. The atmosphere is kinetic, the camaraderie unmatched, and whether you’re a seasoned athlete or a fitness newbie, the Hyrox race offers one of the most fun and challenging hybrid competitions.
What Is Hyrox?
Founded in 2017 by Christian Toetzke—a veteran organizer of triathlon, marathon, and cycling races—and Moritz Furste—German field hockey player and three-time Olympic medalist—Hyrox is the sport of fitness racing. In just eight years, Hyrox has grown into a worldwide movement, hosting races in over 11 countries and 30 major cities, and attracting more than 100,000 participants each season. I had the opportunity to sit down with Christian Toetzke the day before the NYC Hyrox event to gain his insight into the fast-evolving sport.
Toetzke’s vision for Hyrox was to, “create a mass participation workout experience that would bring an event culture to fitness.” He mentioned that, despite the hundreds of millions of people who attend a gym on a weekly basis, there was a noticeable lack of events catered to everyday athletes. Toetzke said Hyrox aims to fill this void by offering a “truly inclusive fitness event, consisting of workouts most people are already doing in the gym, but with a really massive feeling.”
Whatever you do, don’t put the sandbag down. You’ll incur a penalty.
Courtesy Image
Unlike CrossFit, Hyrox approaches the competition landscape from a running angle. Running has a low barrier to entry, most of us have done it recreationally (or competitively), and it keeps the event inclusive, Toetzke says. By sandwiching each functional movement with a 1K run, it acts as a physical reset (as much as running can be considered a “reset”), but also introduces a unique competition environment. It’s not the strongest lifters coming out on top; in a way, this levels the playing field and gives endurance athletes an edge. Moreover, the exercises that comprise the Hyrox workout are specifically chosen to be more intuitive to participants.
“Everyone can push a sled,” Toetzke elaborates. “You might not be fast, but you can’t really do something technically wrong.” This is in contrast to CrossFit’s intricate, skill-based Olympic lifts like the snatch, which can make workouts feel daunting and less accessible.
All of these considerations led to the birth of Hyrox, a one-of-a-kind fitness spectacle featuring eight rounds of a 1K run followed by a unique workout station. Here’s the Hyrox workout at a glance; also be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to the Hyrox workout for how-tos and expert tips.
Station 1: SkiErg
Station 2: Sled push
Station 3: Sled pull
Station 4: Burpee broad jumps
Station 5: Rowing
Station 6: Farmer’s carry
Station 7: Sandbag lunges
Station 8: Wall balls
One of the coolest things about the Hyrox workout is its consistency. The distance and order of movements are always the same, allowing you to compare your performance from race to race. Once you’ve done one event, you’ll know exactly what to expect in future races, which is a huge confidence booster. Plus, for elite athletes, this consistency allows you to see how you stack up on the global leaderboard.
Waves of athletes enter the competition floor every 10 minutes throughout the day, covering all divisions: open, pro, doubles, mixed doubles, weighted vest, and relay. Each participant has the opportunity to tailor their experience, making it as intense or as enjoyable as they desire.
Hyrox Divisions
Open: best for beginners
Pro: best for experienced racers
Weighted Vest: best for advanced racers looking for a challenge
Doubles: best for beginner and intermediate racers who want to split the workload with a same-sex partner
Mixed Doubles: best for beginner and intermediate racers who want to split the workload with a mixed-sex partner
Relay: groups who want to tag-team the event
Use straight arms or do like the pros do: Hug your arms around the sled’s bars to take the strain off your shoulders.
Courtesy Image
What to Expect of Hyrox, From Registration to Race Day
Registration
Hyrox knows how to keep its athletes in the loop and hyped for race day. From the moment I signed up, I received regular emails. These went beyond basic logistics like hotel and transportation. They included everything from a Hyrox athlete guide (think rulebook) to a detailed venue map, motivational words of encouragement to discounts from supplement partners. By the time race day rolled around, I knew exactly when my heat would start, how the schedule would play out, and all the check-in details, leaving me fully prepared and ready to go.
Check-In
As I approached the venue, I heard the event before I saw it. Upon entering the gates, I was ushered to the check-in area to pick up my chip timer. Like a marathon or triathlon, the bracelet straps to your ankle to track split times. Hyrox advises participants show up at least 90 minutes before their start time. This gives you plenty of time to check in, warm up, and mentally prepare.
If you’re a first-timer like I was, I highly recommend getting there early to understand the event flow. Watching a few heats helped ease my nerves, and I quickly realized how intuitive the setup was. All the stations are clearly labeled, and a massive screen tracks your progress throughout the race. Since most venues don’t have a full 1,000-meter course, you’re likely to run two laps around the venue before heading into the Rox Zone, which is the transition area between your run and the next station.
As I navigated through throngs of cheering spectators, I stopped at the wall balls, the final station. This area, known as the “Thunder Dome,” was flanked by grandstands on either side, sardined with family members and friends waiting to see their athlete cross the finish line. At the center of it all was a Red Bull DJ truck that pulsed with a thundering bass. The DJ wasn’t just playing music, he was narrating the action, hyping up the crowd, and keeping energy levels sky-high from the first heat to the last, even announcing when notable figures like Lance Armstrong neared the finish. He counted down many athletes’ final reps, urging them to empty the tank.
Vendors and Aid Stations
After tearing myself away from the wall ball station, I ventured into the vendor area. Here, companies like Gainful and PwrLift offered free samples to keep both athletes and spectators hydrated and fueled. Recovery stations equipped with zero gravity chairs and ice bath plunges provided athletes a chance to cool down and rejuvenate as temps soared. NYC was the first outdoor Hyrox event and the sun baked the semi-exposed pier.
If you plan to consume fuel mid-race, now’s the time to do it.
Courtesy Image
Hyrox Race: My Firsthand Experience
When the clock hit 6p.m., it was finally time to get moving. I headed to the athlete warmup area to clock a few minutes on the Concept 2 rower to get my heart rate up, followed by sled push and pulls to get a feel for the weight. The men’s Pro Division sled push was no joke at 202 kilograms (about 445 pounds). Fortunately, I managed to get it moving, assuring myself that once I hit the competition floor, the crowd’s energy would keep me going. I wrapped up my warmup with a few sandbag lunges and burpee broad jumps. With 15 minutes to spare, I hydrated, tucked an energy gel into my pocket (planning to consume it on the rower), and mentally prepared for what lay ahead.
Five minutes before my heat, I checked in at the start line, an inflatable tunnel where athletes gather before the race. Inside, a Hyrox team member was firing everyone up, encouraging sportsmanship, and reminding us all to enjoy the experience. As the clock counted down from 60 seconds, the tunnel grew quiet, and I could hear people taking deep breaths and readying themselves for the race. At 10 seconds, a few athletes started pushing toward the front. I hung back, letting the superstars lead the charge—after all, the race doesn’t officially start for you until your chip timer crosses the line.
3, 2, 1, go!
The crowd cheered as the first heat of the men’s Pro Division took off, and I began my first 1,000-meter run. I tempered the urge to push the pace, merging with runners from other heats. This felt a bit chaotic, but Hryox has everything down to a science. You’ll always have a spot when you enter a new station.
Station 1
After two laps around the venue, I entered the 1,000m ski. This was familiar territory for me—something I regularly do at my CrossFit gym—so I pushed hard and caught up with the lead pack. One thing I noticed as soon as the race started was that all of the top Hyrox athletes are phenomenal runners. They push the pace on runs, which makes up the majority of the race, while I had to rely on my strength in the stations. My strategy worked well enough for my goals and ability level, but if you want to be a serious contender, you’ll need to prioritize running in your training—and lots of it.
With the SkiErg done, I got the nod from my judge, and navigated through the “Rox Zone Out” arch, careful to exit through the correct inflatable to avoid penalties. Your chip timer tracks everything, so staying on course is crucial, but I promise the course layout is intuitive and easy to navigate.
Station 2
Next up was the sled push—445 pounds over four laps. I felt confident and powered through, later discovering it was my best station, ranking 14th out of 100+ men in the Pro Division. This is just an example of the precise stats Hyrox sends you after the event, allowing you to see your exact splits at each station, the amount of time you spent in the Rox Zone, and the time it took each run.
Pro tip: Don’t let the rope pool and coil at your feet. You increase your odds of tripping over it.
Courtesy Image
Station 3
I headed out for another run, still feeling good, and arrived at the sled pull. There’s a box your feet must stay inside of or you may be hit with a penalty. The box does have some room to it, which allows you to grab the rope and walk the sled back a few steps. I recommend this strategy so you’re not just pulling hand over hand, exclusively using your arms.
Station 4
The next run led to 80m burpee broad jumps, which I found to be the hardest station on the course. This movement just crushes your legs, however, once done, you’re officially halfway through the race.
Station 5
Station five is the 1,000m row and the only time you’ll have a chance to sit during the Hyrox race. This is when I’d recommend consuming any intra-workout nutrition you plan on using like an energy gel or sports drink. Note that Hyrox does have a hydration station in the Rox Zone with Gatorade and water, and you can always grab a drink as you run by.
Station 6
Station six is the 200-meter kettlebell farmer’s carry, which is quick but requires some grip strength. Do your best to hang on to the kettlebell as long as you can—ideally not stopping or setting them down. Keep your feet moving quickly.
Station 7
Legs leaden, lungs burning, I entered station seven, the 100-meter sandbag lunges. I heard the announcer mention we were an hour into the race. Every lunge felt brutal, but at this point you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’re not permitted to drop the sandbag during this event, even when you’re in the Doubles division.
Station 8
The final run was a relief—I was almost done. After two laps, I entered station eight: 100 wall balls. I chipped away in sets of 10, making the final station feel endless, but I finally crossed the finish line. My smile beamed with pride just as my muscles swelled with lactic acid.
Author Pete Nastasi poses at Hyrox finish line.
Courtesy Image
The Takeaway
If you asked me what the best part of a Hyrox race is, hands down it’s the camaraderie. From start to finish, fellow competitors exchanged high-fives, cheered each other on, and kept the energy high. The crowd, judges, DJ, and even random strangers were all incredibly supportive, making it one of the best fitness events I’ve been a part of. If you’re on the fence about trying Hyrox, I can’t recommend it enough.
FAQs
How Long Does a Hyrox Race Take?
A Hyrox race typically takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. While elite athletes can power through in less than an hour, others may take a bit longer, depending on their pace and overall fitness level. This timing is designed to push participants to their limits, offering a challenging yet rewarding experience that feels like a true accomplishment no matter where you finish.
How Long Should I Train for a Hyrox Race?
Training for a Hyrox race typically requires a solid six to eight weeks of preparation, depending on your current fitness level and experience with endurance events. This amount of time should be enough for you to build the endurance, strength, and technique needed to tackle the race’s unique combination of running and workout stations. Ideally, your training should consist of a mix of running, strength training, and specific Hyrox workouts to ensure you’re well-prepared for rest day.
To effectively train for a Hyrox race, you’ll need a blend of standard workout gear and some specialized equipment. A quality pair of running shoes tops the list, as running makes up a significant portion of the race. Beyond that, you’ll want to incorporate kettlebells (dumbbells will work fine for training), a wall ball, and cardio machines like a rower and SkiErg. Lastly, adding a sandbag, sled, and a rope for sled pulls will help you replicate the race’s unique challenges. This combination of gear will ensure you’re well-prepared to tackle every aspect of the Hyrox course. There are dedicated Hyrox partner gyms, but most boutique and big-box studios will have this equipment, too.
If you’re building out your home gym, note Hyrox partnered with Centr, a fitness, nutrition, and mental wellness personal training app created in collaboration with Chris Hemsworth. Centr now supplies the competition-grade equipment, outside of the SkiErg and RowErg developed by Concept 2, for all Hyrox events, including wall balls, wall ball targets, sandbags, power ropes, power sleds, kettlebells, and bumper plates.
Centr x HYROX Octo Kettlebell
Courtesy Image
Hyrox Anaheim Learnings
During the NYC event, I spoke with Andrew Sugerman, CEO of Centr, to chat about the new equipment. Sugerman’s initial experience with Hyrox was at the 2023 event held in Anaheim, CA, where he walked the floor to learn what was working and what wasn’t. Centr, in conjunction with HYROX, spent months to ideate and prototype new equipment to elevate performance.
“For these designs, we worked with some of Hyrox’s elite athletes like David [Magida, 2023 North American Champion] to ensure they’d work for the event,” Sugerman notes.
The prototyping paid off. For instance, the Centr Competition Power Sled features handles on both sides that come with a knurled texture, designed to keep your grip firm as you power through multiple rounds of sweaty sled pushes.
In addition, the Centr Competition Octo Kettlebell, designed for the farmer’s carry station, features a flattened octagonal shape to minimize bumping against thighs. These innovative designs reflect the commitment of both Hyrox and Centr to delivering an exceptional and enjoyable race day for all participants.
Sugerman also hinted at some exciting behind-the-scenes developments for Centr’s fitness app in relation to Hyrox training.
He says to be on the lookout if you want to “analytically see where you’re at, and what you should prioritize in training” to excel in the sport.
[YAOUNDE] Nigeria is to begin the immediate rollout of 5,000 doses of mpox vaccines while the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) eyes its first shipment of 65,000 doses, as Africa steps up measures to control the multi-country outbreak.
The vaccine, administered in two doses, will go first to people at high-risk, including health workers and those living in areas with high infection rates, according to Nigeria’s National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said the delivery of 10,000 doses to Nigeria by USAID this week signified “a clear demonstration of international solidarity in the face of global public health emergencies”.
“The emergence of the new, more virulent variant (Clade Ib) and the increase in human-to-human transmission, with new routes such as sexual transmission, remains a cause for concern.”
Flaubert Mba, Centre for Research on Emerging and Re-Emerging Diseases
Nigeria became the first African country to receive the vaccine after confirming 40 cases of the disease, whose symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes and a rash leading to blisters.
The DRC, the country worst affected, is expecting to receive 65,000 doses of the vaccine on 1 September, announced Jean Kaseya, director-general of the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), during an online press conference on Wednesday (28 August).
A health worker examines skin lesions that are characteristic of mpox on the back of a young child at the mpox treatment centre at the Nyiragongo General Referral Hospital, north of Goma in the DRC on 14 August 2024. Credit: Guerchom Ndebo / WHO
He said 50,000 doses would be sent by the US while 15,000 will be provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Kaseya said the JYNNEOS vaccine, made by Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, was one of the surest ways of stopping the mpox epidemic, alongside epidemiological surveillance and screening.
He stressed the vaccine was the same one used in the US and Europe to stem an outbreak of mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – in 2022.
“It has been given to millions of Americans and Europeans, which has made it possible to stop [that] epidemic,” he told the press conference.
Residents of Weta village in Maniema province, eastern DRC read information about how to avoid mpox, provided by health officials. Credit: Eugene Kabambi / WHO
In July, the emerging infectious diseases foundation CEPI announced trials in the DRC to see if vaccinating people already exposed to mpox stops them getting sick and spreading it.
Kaseya said Africa CDC would be sending 72 epidemiologists to affected areas in September to collect more data on case numbers, citing problems with the reliability of current data.
“These epidemiologists, in addition to the support they will be giving to the teams in the field, will also be focusing on the quality of the data, so that we can have data that will enable us to make good decisions,” he said.
“In the coming weeks, we will begin to provide what we believe to be quality data thanks to this support.”
Bushagara camp for displaced people in North Kivu, DRC. Identification of mpox cases in camps around Goma is concerning because the high population density can result in further spread. Credit: Guerchom Ndebo / WHO
Response plans
For the first time since its creation, Africa CDC declared on 13 August that the new mpox epidemic constituted a public health emergency of continental security (PHECS) in Africa. The next day, the WHO declared it a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
Nicaise Ndembi, Kaseya’s scientific advisor and mpox response coordinator for the African Union and Africa CDC, told SciDev.Net: “This declaration marks an important moment in the history of public health in Africa and demonstrates the seriousness of the situation and the need for a unified, continent-wide response to this rapidly spreading disease.”
He stressed that it is now “urgent to take coordinated action at national, regional and international levels to stop the spread of mpox”.
Africa CDC is working to develop a “continental response plan”, which, according to Kaseya, should take into account the individual needs of each country. He said the plan will be presented to African heads of state for endorsement in the coming weeks.
The WHO has already launched a global strategic plan for mpox preparedness and response, which it says requires US$ 87.4 million over the next six months (September 2024-February 2025).
WHO director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in Brazzaville this week (26 August), stressed the need for more research and surveillance of the disease, as well as equitable access to vaccines.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (centre) convenes the first meeting of the Emergency Committee to discuss the upsurge of mpox, on 14 August 2024. Credit: Lindsay Mackenzie / WHO
“I am certain that with the leadership of the affected countries and the support of the WHO, partners such as CDC Africa and others, we will be able to bring this epidemic under control quickly, as we have been able to do with other epidemics in recent years,” he said.
New variants
According to the latest WHO epidemiological data, 14 African countries have reported cases of mpox so far, with Gabon confirming its first case of the virus on 22 August.
The DRC remains the country hardest hit by the epidemic, with a total of 3,244 cases and 25 deaths recorded to date this year.
Burundi has recorded 231 cases, while a number of cases have also been confirmed in Central African Republic (45); Côte d’Ivoire (28); South Africa (24), and Congo (23).
There are two main types of the virus, Clade I and Clade II. Clade I, endemic to Central Africa, causes more severe illness and disease. The less severe Clade II strain caused the global outbreak in 2022 and is the type being seen in Nigeria.
People with #mpox may experience all or only a few symptoms. Mpox illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks. Source: CDC
However, a novel, sexually transmitted strain of the virus, identified as Clade Ib, has started spreading across the DRC and neighbouring countries, causing alarm.
Flaubert Mba, wildlife specialist and One Heath focal point at the Centre for Research on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases, told SciDev.Net: “The emergence of the new, more virulent variant (Clade Ib) and the increase in human-to-human transmission, with new routes such as sexual transmission, remains a cause for concern.”
In addition to vaccination and the recommended hygiene measures, he believes that African countries need to focus on epidemiological surveillance, particularly in areas where wildlife and people interact.
“Mpox is a re-emergent zoonosis, meaning that it is transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa,” he explained.
“Particular emphasis needs to be placed on at-risk areas associated with risk mapping and areas where there have been outbreaks in the past.”
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa French desk and edited for brevity and clarity.
September 10, 2024 was World Suicide Prevention Day. According to the World Health Organization,
“Every year 726,000 people take their own life and there are many more people who make suicide attempts.”
When I was five years old my mid-life father took an overdose of sleeping pills after he had become increasingly depressed because he couldn’t support his family doing the work he loved. Fortunately, he survived, but our lives were never the same. I grew up wondering what happened to my father, when it would happen to me, and what I could do to prevent it happening to other families.
Although females, as well as males, can die by suicide, males at every age are at higher risk than are females. Yet rarely is suicide discussed as a health issue for boys and men.
World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 by the International Association for Suicide Prevention in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). On September 10th each year they focus attention on the issues, reduce stigma and raise awareness among organizations, governments, and the public, giving a singular message that suicides are preventable.
The triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day for 2024-2026 is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” with the call to action “Start the Conversation”. This theme aims to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides. Changing the narrative on suicide is about transforming how we perceive this complex issue and shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.
The call to action encourages everyone to start the conversation on suicide and suicide prevention. Every conversation, no matter how small, contributes to a supportive and understanding society. By initiating these vital conversations, we can break down barriers, raise awareness, and create better cultures of support.
I have been writing a series of articles—”Homecoming: An Evolutionary Approach for Healing Depression and Preventing Suicide.” In Part 1, I shared statistics from the National Institute of Mental Health, comparing the suicide rates for males and females at various ages:
Even during our youth where suicide rates are relatively low, males are still more likely to die by suicide than are females. It is also clear to me as my wife and I move into our 80s, that males and females face many challenges as we age, but it is older males who more often end their lives by suicide with rates 8 to 17 times higher rates than for females.
In Part 2, I discussed the evolutionary roots of male/female differences and quoted Dr. Roy Baumeister, one of the world’s leading social scientists. Understanding his work can better help us understand a lot about why men are the way they are and specifically why men are the risk-taking gender.
In his groundbreaking book, Is There Anything Good About Men? How Cultures Flourish By Exploiting Men, he says,
“If evolutionary theory is right about anything, it’s right about reproduction. Nature will most favor traits that lead to success at reproducing. But for thousands of years, men and women have faced vastly different odds and problems in reproducing. On this basic task, women faced good odds of success, whereas men were born to face looming failure.”
Men not only take greater risks than women, but also are less resilient and more prone to feelings of failure when they don’t feel they can offer something of value to those they love.
In Part 3, I show that suicide is the most prevalent form of violence and is the cause of more death than either war or homicide. We don’t often think of suicide as a form of violence or depression as an underlying cause of violence, but they are intimately related. The World Health Organization (WHO) produced an in-depth analysis of violence and published the information under the title, “The World Report on Violence and Health.” The report is the result of 3 years of work, during which WHO drew on the knowledge of more than 160 experts from more than 70 countries.
The report detailed estimated global-related deaths as follows:
These numbers vary in different years and rates of violent deaths also vary according by country and within each country with different groups. But clearly violence from suicide accounts for nearly as many deaths as war-related violence and homicides combined. All forms of violence are tragic and many have come to believe that violence is simply a part of human nature. But this is not true.
Violence of all kinds can be understood and prevented.
“Violence thrives in the absence of democracy, respect for human rights and good governance,”
said Nelson Mandela. We often talk about how a ‘culture of violence’ can take root. This is indeed true—as a South African who has lived through apartheid and is living through its aftermath, I have seen and experience it. No country, no city, no community is immune. But neither are we powerless against it.”
As we approach another presidential election in the United States, most everyone is aware of the threat to democracy we are facing and the conflicts that divide our country.
In Part 4, I offered guidance for all those who are ready to see the truth about the times in which we live and how we can live, love, and work, for good in the world.
For most of my professional life I believed that treating depression and preventing suicide involved helping individuals, couples, and families. A new perspective opened for me in 1993 at a men’s leadership conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. I’ve written a number of articles about my experience over the years, including my most recent, “Transformations: The End of the U.S. and the World as We Know It and The Truth About Our Collective Future.”
I said that an old kind of masculinity was on the way out. My colleague Riane Eisler describes two competing systems that humans have been engaging with that she calls the dominator system and the partnership system. Throughout the world emotionally wounded men who ascend to power have chosen a dominator approach to asserting power.
The old dominator systems were ruled by frightened men who came to believe that the only way to survive was to rule by force. Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat describes these men in her book, Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. She says,
“For ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaimed saviors of the nation who evade accountability while robbing their people of truth, treasure, and the protections of democracy.”
Among the seventeen protagonists in her book she includes: Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Benito Mussolini, Vladamir Putin, and Donald J. Trump. Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Anne Applebaum describes the way modern-day autocrats support each other in her book, Autocracy Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.
“Nowadays, autocracies are underpinned by sophisticated networks composed across multiple regimes…The autocrats are rewriting the rules of world trade and governance as their propagandists pound home the same messages about the weakness of democracy and the evil of America.”
At MenAlive I have been supporting men and their families to embrace the partnership system and have recently created a way for organizations and individuals to belief in these ideas and practices to stay connected. You can learn more at our website, MoonshotforMankind.org and get news you can use on our substack, substack.com/@moonshotformankind.
If you’d like to read more articles on men’s mental, emotional, and relational health, you can subscribe for free at https://menalive.com/email-newsletter/.
Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind.
Suicide does not just occur in high-income countries but is a global phenomenon in all regions of the world. In fact, close to three quarters (73%) of global suicides occurred in low- and middle-income countries in 2021.
Sticking to new habits isn’t easy, especially when they mean giving up old ones that make you feel good—at least temporarily—like binging talking dog videos or inhaling a burger on the way home from work. But there comes a time when making a change in the name of your health and happiness is more attractive than another night spent plastered to your couch. That’s where a program like the 75 Hard Challenge comes in. It’s not a weight-loss app, although followers do tend to shed some pounds. Instead, it’s a “mental toughness” protocol that helps instill new habits in fewer than three months. That’s not to say it’s without flaws.
This challenge is not easy to stick to. People often believe the more intense something is, the better the results. But this is a mistake if you aren’t careful. It’s important to learn about any new routine that overhauls your diet, exercise, and entire life and really evaluate if the pros and cons make it worthwhile. Learn all about 75 Hard, including 75 Hard Challenge rules and what you might stand to gain—or lose—if you try it.
What Is the 75 Hard Challenge?
The 75 Hard Challenge is primarily a mental toughness program with physical and behavioral habits created by entrepreneur and author Andy Frisella in 2019. In short, the challenge aims to build discipline and resilience—physically and mentally—by adopting a set of daily rules that you complete without fail for 75 days straight. Frisella sells a book about the challenge, but you can also learn about it from his podcast and all over the internet.
75 Hard rules dictate you drink one gallon of water daily and cut out alcohol and cheat meals including soda.
Jarren Vink
75 Hard Challenge Rules
There are five 75 Hard rules to follow during the 75 Hard Challenge. Here’s where it gets particularly tough: If you skip any of the items on the 75 Hard checklist on any given day, you need to start over from day one as a practice in forging mental toughness and self-control.
1. Follow a Diet
During the entire challenge, you should stick to a specific meal plan without cheat meals or alcohol. There’s no 75 Hard diet, per se. You get to choose. If you’re hoping to drop body fat, we recommend the best diets for weight loss. But if you’re just trying to adhere to a lifelong habit of healthy eating, stick to the best diets recommended by experts. Something like the Mediterranean Diet is more sustainable for life than, say, the keto or Paleo diet. Get more tips below.
2. Two Daily Workouts
Every day, you have to complete two 45-minute workouts with one being outdoors. Unfortunately, you can’t count activities like mowing the lawn, yard work, or leisure sports into the 75 Hard workout plan like golf, because they’re considered “daily chores” or “routines.” Typically, we don’t recommend two-a-days, especially if you’re not a professional athlete. To ensure you don’t overtrain, keep one akin to an active recovery, like steady-state cycling or yoga. If it starts to diminish your physical and mental well-being, stop.
3. Drink a Gallon of Water
Drink one gallon of water every day. This doesn’t include any other fluid intake, just clear H2O. Hydrating is obviously important. Drinking a gallon is likely unnecessary, but it won’t necessarily hurt you. If it helps up your intake, great.
4. Read Nonfiction
Part of the mental fortitude aspect of the challenge is reading 10 pages of a nonfiction book each day. Unfortunately, audiobooks don’t count, nor do magazines or sports pages. Sorry—there’s a reason this is called the hard 75 challenge.
5. Take a Daily Progress Picture
Take a photo of your body to track your progress each day. This could be a mirror selfie or one you loop your partner or roommate into taking for you. Just be sure to keep the lighting, location, time of day, and clothing items similar for each shot. For some, this is helpful over time to see incremental progress, however a daily log can be detrimental to others’ self-esteem if their body image isn’t positive.
Mediterranean Diet
Sam Kaplan
75 Hard Diet
Diet just might be the worst four-letter word in the English language. The good news is that you can choose your own diet structure for the 75 Hard Challenge.
Choose a Diet Plan
While you can pick your ideal diet, it has to be one that fosters positive physical change. Whether you’re losing fat, gaining muscle, building strength, boosting your intake of a specific micro or macronutrient (like protein), or improving overall diet quality for skin health, just pick something you think you can stick to for the entire 75 days without falling off the wagon.
Can you go 75 days without a hot slice of pizza or a burger? If you want to complete the 75 Hard Challenge, you’ll have to give up all of your normal cheat meals for the duration. That’s right—zero cheat meals (what would Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson say?). Instead, make some healthier swaps that are still tasty but easier on the waistline.
No Alcohol
There’s a strict no-booze rule for the 75 Hard Challenge, so plan accordingly. If you know you’ll be in a high-pressure social situation like a bachelor party or Super Bowl gathering, and you don’t have the willpower of steel, you might want to forego the plan until you know you can stick to it. Might we suggest nonalcoholic drinks like NA spirits, wine, and beer.
Running
Patrick Giardino/Getty Images
75 Hard Workout Plan
If you aren’t currently very physically active or have a difficult time sticking to a consistent routine, this may be a wallop: For the 75 Hard Challenge, you have to do two 45-minute workouts each day, and one of them has to be in the great outdoors. Luckily, the types of workouts you can do are pretty flexible so long as they are physically challenging and aren’t part of your regular daily routine. Here are some examples:
Cardio Workouts
Cardio should be part of your workout routine during 75 Hard, but you don’t have to go hell-for-leather every day. Many of the best cardio workouts can double up as your outdoor workout session.
Resistance training is a must for any serious training plan, so pick a style you enjoy or one you’re excited to try and stick to it for 75 days. Be sure to plan out your sessions in advance, increase the challenge as you go, and track your progress.
Bodyweight exercises (like pushups, pullups, and squats)
Powerlifting
Recovery and Flexibility Training
Including some low-key workouts into your routine is the ultimate overtraining prevention strategy. The less fit you are, the more of these sessions you should include—maybe four to five per week counting toward the 45-minute sessions. Scale down from there if you are more fit or as you progress throughout the challenge.
Yoga
Pilates
Mobility work
Walking
Stretching
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
If you plan to include HIIT training, do it sparingly. Too much high-intensity work will burn you out in no time. It’s not possible to do true HIIT training for a full 45 minutes, so if you’re going to add this modality to your routine, stick to 10 to 15 minutes at the end of a cardio session or after resistance training two to three times a week.
Pro tip: Skip high-intensity training altogether if your diet plan includes cutting calories. It’s a recipe for burnout.
Circuit training
Tabata workouts
Sprints
Battle Ropes
Justin Steele
75 Hard Pros
There’s a lot going for the 75 day Hard Challenge. Here are some of the main pros.
Builds Habits
We all know that consistency is king when it comes to results, and that’s the main tenant of 75 Hard: to build and maintain a consistent routine that includes five daily tasks every day without fail. Habits are automatic behaviors triggered by specific cues and learned through repetition, strengthening every time you complete the behavior—think brushing your teeth every night before bed or locking up when you leave the house, according to 2021 research published in Social Psychology.
Good habits help you keep up desirable behaviors over time since you’ll start to automatically perform them without having to rely on conscious motivation—something that’s notoriously fickle, according to the study.
Tracks Progress
Tracking your progress is the best way to see how far you’ve come and it’s also a great way to get a motivational buzz when you start seeing a difference in how you look, feel, and act. Progress tracking with a photo is one of the Hard 75 rules, so it’s built into the routine.
Gets You Active
Obviously, physical activity is a huge part of the challenge and a behavior many people struggle to maintain. If you’re doing 75 Hard, you’ll definitely get your daily movement in through the two 45-minute workouts each day.
Includes Time in Nature
While you don’t explicitly have to go on a nature walk, even cityscape fresh air and sunlight are better than nothing. Since the challenge requires you to complete one 45-minute workout outdoors each day, you’ll get benefits from sunlight exposure (which improves sleep), stress relief, and a brain boost.
Aside from giving up your favorite tasty snacks and foregoing a beer during the game, the 75 Hard Challenge has other practical issues.
Not for Everyone
Although 75 Hard has consistency built in, if you don’t include your own context cues for each habit you want to keep once the challenge is over, you likely won’t stick to it. In other words, if you don’t incorporate the habits into your everyday routine in a way that you’ll stick to once the challenge ends, you’ll probably revert to the same old habits—good or bad—that you were doing before. This is the exact reason why most people regain all the weight they lose during diets.
Easy to Overdo It
Without any actual professional nutritional or fitness guidance (Frisella is not a health expert), you can easily go overboard trying to meet the steep expectations of the challenge. You might not pair the ideal diet with your exercise program—such as a muscle-building calorie surplus with your hypertrophy training—unless you know what you’re doing.
You can accidentally choose habits that do more harm than good if you attempt high-intensity training alongside a low-carb diet or push past your body’s signals for rest in order to get in that second 45-minute workout.
Very Strict
Rigidity is the entire point of the 75 Hard Challenge. In fact, Frisella says in an interview with Megyn Kelly, “The whole point of the program is to put yourself in the most inconvenient, non-compromising situation that you possibly can,” with no room for substitutions.
He goes on to say that giving yourself a break or a “mental day” is a no-go because “letting yourself off the hook is the reason you are where you are in this state of unhappiness and unfulfillment.” If you get sick, sore, or have an emergency—too bad—you’ve failed.
Can Lower Confidence
Battering yourself into submission is not always the best for your mental health and certainly won’t work for everyone. Plus, not everyone who wants to improve their health is unhappy or unfulfilled.
In reality, positive thinking can boost self-confidence by helping you see challenges as temporary and conquerable. Overcoming setbacks and still working toward your health goals is a fast track to becoming more resilient and increases internal motivation and confidence. And for the record, internal motivation is stronger than the kind you’ll get from any challenge.
Final Verdict: What Do Experts Say About the 75 Hard Challenge?
As a personal trainer and nutrition coach, I believe that most people, even those with advanced fitness levels, shouldn’t attempt two workouts every single day. Combining cardio and strength training can interfere with recovery and overall results and is a recipe for burnout. Physically, mentally, and socially, two-a-day workouts can be draining and unsustainable and put you at risk of overtraining, which requires lengthy recovery.
If you’re set on following the two-workouts rule, make sure one is recovery-based—light yoga, walking, or stretching. Organized activities like jiu-jitsu or gym classes can count as one workout, with walking or something gentle for the second. For strength training, limit it to three to five days a week and always pair with recovery exercises.
I don’t recommend avoiding rest days, as even lighter workouts can be mentally exhausting and, on a practical level, can get in the way of other areas of your life, like relationships, work, and family responsibilities. Missing a session and starting over can feel defeating, which I’d never want for my clients. If you miss a workout you had intended to complete, it’s better to reassess and adjust instead of stressing over rigid plans.
In my opinion, the idea that “mental toughness” comes from strict workout rules is absurd. True consistency comes from internal motivation, doing what you enjoy for reasons that matter to you. Building skills in activities you love—whether yoga, strength training, running, or a new sport—will make you proud and boost your confidence in the long term.
Real toughness also means listening to your body. Sometimes, backing off is harder than following a rigid plan. Focus on consistency and finding joy in what you do rather than chasing the next challenge.
Why You Should Trust Us
I’m a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and nutrition coach, among other fancy titles—but my passion is communicating the countless benefits of being active and striving toward a healthier mind and body through attainable action. I use a hefty dose of science to guide the advice I give, along with the real-world experience I’ve gained over the last 15 years.
