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The best workouts are the ones you show up for consistently. Between work, family, and having a social life, it can be hard to find time to hit the gym. Personal training is a great way to get the guidance, accountability, and motivation you need, especially if you’re a beginner or have specific fitness goals in mind. While in-person personal training can be quite expensive, online personal training is often easier on your wallet. Plus, it’s more flexible—you can fit your workouts in whenever and wherever makes sense for you. Our experts spent countless hours testing more than 60 online personal training apps to bring you our top picks so you can find the right fit for your budget, fitness level, personal goals, and desired level of support.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Muscle Building: Future
Best Online Personal Trainer For Beginners: Caliber
Best Online Personal Trainer for Weight Loss: Centr
To learn what most users need from online personal trainers, we consulted Maurice Williams, assistant professor of kinesiology at Freed Hardeman University and N.A.S.M. C.P.T. and Emily Booth, N.A.S.M C.P.T. and member of the N.A.S.M. Scientific Advisory Board.
Equipment Needed: Your coach will design workouts around equipment you already have. Apple Watch or any watch that supports Android WearOS 3.0 or above.
Workouts Offered: Strength and cardio
Future matches you with your own fitness coach for completely personalized training. Future is a great choice if you want to gain muscle and build strength because your coach designs a workout plan tailored to your specific goals and the equipment you have. To get started, users complete an intake questionnaire. Future recommends a trainer based on your answers, or you can select your own coach. (If you decide your trainer isn’t the right fit, you can swap coaches at any time.) “Future helps people achieve their fitness goals because it is built in the digital space where a lot of us spend our day. The app is clean and inviting and the setup process only takes a few minutes,” says Williams.
After you match with a coach, you’ll schedule a video call to discuss your fitness goals, ideal workout routine, and personal preferences. From there, your coach will design your workout plan. “I told my coach I like to hit the gym four times a week, so he built me a four-day program alternating between upper and lower body workouts, each twice a week. He also included warmups, which I mentioned was important to me,” says tester Scott Richardson, who used Future for one month. “I’ve tested lots of fitness apps and Future has the most comprehensive workouts.”
Press play on your workout for the day, and the app walks you through each exercise rep by rep, including videos on how to complete the movements and tips for getting the most out of each set. You can film yourself completing a move and send it to your coach for form analysis or input on weight adjustment. While your coach won’t provide feedback in real-time, they typically respond to questions within 24 hours. Coaches are also there for motivation. “I sent my coach a video of one of my single-arm cable row sets so he could check my form. I appreciated his feedback,” says Richardson. “The coaches really hold you accountable to the training program. They can message you at any time to help check in and help you stay on track.”
While Richardson says his overall experience using Future is positive, he didn’t love that he had to wait almost a week between signing up for the program and his initial call with his coach. “I burned the first nine days of my trial just waiting to get started,” says Richardson.
Caliber coaches design custom fitness and nutrition plans to help users form new, healthy habits.
At a Glance:
Price: Pro $19/month (group coaching), Premium $200+/month (personal training), and a free version
Functions: Video coaching, weekly lessons, macronutrient tracking, nutrition coaching
Available For: iOS and Android
Equipment Needed: Your coach will plan workouts around equipment you have access to
Workouts Offered: Strength training and cardio
If you need help starting your fitness journey, check out Caliber. Caliber provides a comprehensive, science-based training program incorporating exercise and nutrition to help you form sustainable, healthy habits for long-term success. “It’s evident that Caliber seeks to identify a variety of critical elements in order to customize a plan for each user’s goals, lifestyle, and equipment availability. I also appreciate that users have access to a real trainer with whom they can ask real questions,” says Booth.
I tested the free version of Caliber and designed a week’s worth of training for myself. After answering a few basic questions about the equipment I had, the number of days I wanted to train, and the amount of time I had to exercise each day, the app generated my four-day workout split: Legs, chest and triceps, back and biceps, and shoulders and abs. My leg workout consisted of four movements: the barbell squat, barbell Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell lunges, and seated leg press. As a certified personal trainer, I appreciated this simple, yet effective workout. Each exercise includes a detailed description and video demonstration of proper form, which is beneficial if you’re new to resistance training.
Caliber also has two paid plans: Caliber Premium, which offers one-on-one sessions with a certified personal trainer, and Caliber Pro, which allows users to join an expert-led group focused on specific goals. Tester Cory Kessler, C.P.T., C.N.C., tried the Pro version and was impressed by the workout guides and how much feedback he got from his coach. “I’ve tried a lot of apps, and the tutorials on Caliber are the most in-depth I’ve seen,” says Kessler. “The coaches strike a great balance of accountability and encouragement. Like with Future, coaches are available for questions and can watch videos of your form to give you pointers.”
Individualized coaching is only available with Pro ($19/month) and Premium ($200/month) plans. The free version offers non-customized workout programs and nutrition plans better suited to users with more fitness experience who need less guidance. One downside noted by testers is the app’s interface, which is slightly clunky but still fairly intuitive.
Pros:
Connect with a responsive coach
Thorough movement videos for each exercise
A free (but less comprehensive) version of this app is available
Options for one-on-one and group training available
Cons:
The app asks for daily weigh-ins and weekly progress pictures, which may be triggering for some
Personalized nutrition coaching only available with premium plan ($200/month)
Centr provides personalized plans to help users improve their diet, exercise, and mindfulness.
At a Glance:
Price: $30/month, $60/three months, or $110/year
Functions: Workout plans, meal planning, mindfulness training, and progress tracking
Available For: iOS and Android
Equipment Needed: Many workouts don’t require any equipment, but others utilize a variety of gym equipment (you can filter the workout videos in the app by equipment need)
Workouts Offered: HIIT, strength, cardio, yoga and Pilates, and more
Experts say weight loss is as much about diet and mindset as it is about working out. Centr is our pick for the best online personal trainer app for weight loss because it combines nutrition coaching, mindfulness practices, and exercise into one wellness tool. “What makes Centr stand out from other apps I’ve tried is its balanced and holistic approach to fitness, whereas other programs focus on a specific goal,” says Kessler, who used Centr for two years.
Unlike Future and Caliber, Centr’s workouts aren’t designed specifically for users. Instead, they’re pre-programmed plans aimed at different goals, such as weight loss or building muscle. Each program includes workouts, a meal plan, and mindfulness exercises. “There are at least 20 programs to choose from. The workouts in each program are assigned to a specific day of the week, making it really easy to follow,” Kessler says.
If you’re looking for an online personal trainer to provide accountability on your weight loss journey, Centr probably isn’t the app for you. However, if you’re looking for detailed guidelines and in-depth assistance with meal planning, Centr is a wealth of practical support and resources. “The nutrition component is my favorite part of Centr. I really like how the app focuses on healthy recipes and habits rather than restrictions,” says Kessler. “The app provides a full grocery list making it very convenient to shop, plus all of the suggested meals were delicious.”
Whether you’re a new runner or training for your next race, Joggo can design a custom plan for you.
At a Glance:
Price: $33/one month, $46/three months, $66/six months, and optional strength training for $2/week
Functions: GPS tracking and audio guidance for your runs, optional nutrition plans
Available For: iOS, Andriod
Equipment Needed: Running shoes
Workouts Offered: Running and strength training
Running with the Joggo app playing in your headphones is like having a personal trainer alongside you. While you run, a pre-recorded coach guides you from warm-up to cool-down providing encouragement and cues along the way. “I often run too fast to sustain my speed for the entire workout, so I like the reminders to slow down (or in some cases speed up),” says tester Grant Smith. “I also found the breathing techniques helpful.”
After an initial survey to ascertain your starting point, Joggo creates your custom workout plan with runs two to four times a week and plenty of rest days. “As a newer runner, those first few workouts were pretty challenging, but eventually the program felt more tailored to my running level,” Smith says. The app displays a chart of your pace and distance metrics so you can see your improvements over time.
Another feature that sets Joggo apart from other running apps is its nutrition coaching. Joggo offers grocery lists, healthy recipes, and snack ideas. “This is probably my favorite feature of the app,” says tester Rachel Pasche, an avid runner. “Not only does Joggo offer ideas for pre- and post-workout meals, but it also gives you a grocery list for those recipes, making food shopping a breeze.”
Joggo’s subscription price varies based on the number of months you purchase, which is convenient. For example, if you are using the app to train for a 5k, you can choose a subscription to match the length of your training period. While Joggo pairs with an Apple Watch, it does not sync with any other smartwatches or apps.
FlexIt offers live, virtual personal training sessions so you can get real-time feedback and advice.
At a Glance:
Price: Ranges from $44-$84/session based on length of training session and number of sessions purchased
Functions: Live, one-on-one training sessions with a personal trainer and/or nutritionist
Available For: iOS, Android, and web access
Equipment Needed: Trainers will incorporate what you have available
Workouts Offered: Cardio, meditation, nutrition, yoga, and more
FlexIt brings one-on-one personal training right to your home via your phone, tablet, or computer. With FlexIt, users are paired with a personal trainer for live, guided workouts over video chat. The biggest difference between FlexIt and apps like Future or Caliber is that your trainer gives you feedback in real-time. “As I was doing the ab portion of a circuit workout, I mentioned some lower back tension,” says tester Colleen Quigley. “My trainer, Chris, told me to stop immediately and guided me through a modification so I could safely and effectively complete the exercise.”
Like many of the apps on our list, FlexIt begins with a questionnaire about your current fitness level and goals. From there you can book your first session with the trainer best suited to your preferred workout style. FlexIt has a long, diverse list of specialists to coach you through cardio workouts, strength sessions, yoga classes, guided meditations, and more. Once you pick the trainer you’d like to work with, you’ll book a time slot in their calendar. “I wanted to try a new experience so I booked a 30-minute guided meditation with Sarah, a yoga instructor,” says tester Joana Neziri. “I’ve taken many yoga classes, but never online or in my own bedroom. I liked how private and personal this was, and I felt calmer during our session than I typically do during in-person yoga class.” In addition to personal training, FlexIt offers various four-week-long programs, including HIIT, bodyweight strength training, and dumbbell strength training. You can complete these workouts on your own, or meet with your “Connected Training” coach, who will customize the program for you.
After your session, your trainer can message you through the app to check in and remind you to book your next appointment. You can choose to book recurring sessions or pick individual sessions with different trainers. FlexIt also offers coaching from registered nutritionists to help you reach your health goals. It has a monthly plan and a pay-as-you-go option. With both plans, the more sessions you book, the greater your discount per session.
Down Dog users get access to multiple types of yoga, including Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, gentle flows, strength flows, and more.
At a Glance:
Price: $8/month or $40/year
Functions: Pre-recorded fitness classes
Available For: iOS and Android
Equipment Needed: Yoga mat
Workouts Offered: Yoga, HIIT, barre, prenatal yoga, and meditation
Build your own yoga practice at home with Down Dog. The app’s extensive video library includes multiple types of yoga, including Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, gentle flows, strength flows, and more. Down Dog’s sessions vary in difficulty, so the app is a good choice for beginners starting their yoga journey or yogis deep into their practice. Testers say the classes are challenging but attainable. To further customize your experience, you can select your duration, background music, and what body part you want to focus on (great if you struggle with lower back pain) and choose between six different yoga instructors to guide your session. With all the customization options, Down Dog promises you’ll “never get the same practice twice.” Testers agree saying they find it hard to get bored with this app.
Unlike other apps on our list that start with a lengthy questionnaire, using Down Dog is simple. Open the app, select your class preferences, and start the video. The calendar in the app’s “Journey” tab logs each session you complete and includes reference information about the poses during class. However, Down Dog doesn’t offer any interactive features like the opportunity to ask questions or get feedback on your practice.
Pros:
On-demand yoga classes customized to your preferences
Pose library helps you familiarize yourself with the structure and benefits of poses used in class
Cons:
No interactive features or opportunities for feedback
The Peloton app features thousands of classes all led by motivating, high-energy instructors.
At a Glance:
Price: $13/month for Peloton App One, $24/month for Peloton App+ (deeper discounts for yearly subscription)
Functions: Pre-recorded workout sessions and live classes
Available For: iOS, Android, and web access
Equipment Needed: Running gear, yoga mat, weights, and/or gym access for Peloton App One; Stationary bike, treadmill, and/or rowing machine for Peloton App+
Workouts Offered: Strength, yoga, outdoor running, and gym workouts (Peloton App One); Cycling, treadmill running, and rowing machine (Peloton App+)
The Peloton app is hard to beat for the widest range of cardio workouts. This online personal training app has two versions. The Peloton App One gives subscribers access to a library of strength, yoga, stretching, running, meditation, and gym workouts. Peloton App+ subscribers get access to even more workouts including spin, treadmill, and rowing classes. Each category offers a wide selection of live and pre-recorded classes, featuring high-energy instructors. “I’ve been using the app for six months, and the upper body and interval workouts are my favorite,” says tester Chloe Sisson. “No matter the class, the instructors are always motivational and make me want to work harder.”
While there is no one-on-one coaching, Peloton stands out for its community support. During live workouts, a leaderboard displays each participant’s name. “The leaderboard shows if someone is hitting a milestone, like a 50th ride, and you can send them a virtual high five for encouragement,” says Sisson. “You can also ‘friend’ other users and schedule workouts or compete in challenges together.”
Pros:
Wide range of cardio workout options, instructors, styles, music, programs, and lengths
Detailed metric tracking during and after workouts
Emphasis on community support and engagement
Cons:
No personalized workouts, just video instruction
No opportunity to ask for feedback from instructors
What Is an Online Personal Trainer?
An online personal trainer is a fitness professional or program that provides personalized workout plans, guidance, and support entirely through digital platforms such as websites, apps, emails, or video calls. Online personal trainers offer tailored exercise routines, nutrition advice, and accountability to help clients achieve their fitness goals.
A few noticeable differences exist between working with a personal trainer face-to-face versus online. First, an online personal trainer cannot manually position your body or provide physical adjustments to improve your form and technique. Also, while some apps, like FlexIt, allow for real-time feedback and guidance, most personal training apps do not. However, there are many benefits to online personal training compared to in-person training, namely the savings in cost, convenience, efficiency, and comfort.
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Online Personal Trainer for You
Compatibility
Most online personal trainers are accessible via apps for iOS and Android. If you have a fitness tracker, watch, or wearable, double-check the personal trainer app you’re interested in is compatible with your device.
Interaction
Consider the level of care or involvement you want from your online personal trainer and how much support you need to reach your goals. Some platforms, like FlexIt, offer live, virtual coaching. Other apps, like Future, start with a video consultation and then rely on text and video messaging as you dive into the program. Some apps, like Peloton, let users choose from a selection of pre-recorded based on their goals but don’t involve any direct interactions with a personal trainer.
Customization
The more interaction you have with your personal trainer, the more personalized the workouts usually are. However, some of the no-interaction platforms still provide a customizable experience because they offer a variety of workouts designed to meet different goals.
Focus
Make sure the app you chose offers the style of workout you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, HIIT, resistance training, or running. No matter how great the user experience is, if the app doesn’t have workouts you like, you probably won’t use it very often. If you’re working with an online personal trainer, make sure they have the expertise needed to help you reach your goals.
Equipment Needed
Before selecting an online personal training program, make sure you have the equipment required for that app. With some programs, like Future or Caliber, your coach will design the workouts around your equipment, whether that’s access to a full gym or no equipment at all.
Cost
Online personal trainers vary greatly in cost. On the lower end, you’ll find apps that cost around $15 per month and offer guided workouts. On the higher end, you’ll find apps that cost over $100 per month for private one-on-one training sessions or customized training plans. Consider what features are most important to you and which online personal training programs best match your budget.
How We Chose the Best Online Personal Trainers
To choose the best online personal trainers, we looked at the most highly rated virtual personal training platforms, online personal training apps, and individual personal trainers offering online coaching services. Each platform on our list offers credentialed, experienced experts or coaches ready to support beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercisers. Several fitness enthusiasts and professionals tested more than 60 workout apps and evaluated each for several features including:
User experience: Does the app deliver on its intended use during a full use period (i.e. a single workout or workout program)? Does it have a simple interface that’s easy to navigate? Are there any bugs that inhibit use?
Tech capabilities: Does the app use your phone’s capabilities in a unique way? Does it integrate with other fitness tech such as a heart rate monitor or wearable? Do these features function as designed, or are they finicky?
Design: Is the app easy to navigate? Can you find all the functions you need quickly? Does it provide an intuitive user experience overall?
Value: Does the app’s cost align with its features? Is it comparable to other products in its category?
Customer reviews: What are customers saying about this app? Are there common issues/complaints among reviews? What rating does it have on consumer review sites, such as the App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot, etc.?
Who Is an Online Personal Trainer Best For
A lot of people may find online personal training beneficial, particularly if you want a custom workout plan, have limited access to fitness equipment, travel often, or feel uncomfortable in regular gym settings. In many cases, online personal trainers offer the same level of support and guidance as in-person training, but often at a fraction of the cost and on a more convenient schedule.
Online Personal Trainer FAQs
How Much Should I Pay for an Online Trainer?
That depends on your budget and your goals. The cost for online personal training varies depending on the features and services the app provides. Typically, costs for online personal training range from about $15 per month to a couple hundred dollars per month ($100–$400).
Do I Need a Personal Trainer?
Not necessarily, but customized workouts may be beneficial depending on your goals. Trainers offer accountability, motivation, and personalized guidance, which can help minimize injury and maximize results. However, if you’re self-motivated with a solid base of fitness knowledge, a personal trainer might not be necessary.
How Often Should I See a Personal Trainer?
As often as you need to stay accountable. Beginners or those with specific goals may want to meet with a trainer a few times each week. But you might not need to see your personal trainer every time you work out. As you progress, you may transition to meeting with a trainer once a week for check-ins and program adjustments.
What Is the Difference Between a Fitness Coach and a Personal Trainer?
They are pretty similar, and the terms might often be used interchangeably. While both fitness coaches and personal trainers provide guidance and support to help you reach your goals, they tend to differ in approach. A personal trainer typically focuses on designing exercise programs, while a fitness coach generally takes a more holistic approach, addressing not only exercise but also nutrition and lifestyle habits.
The Takeaway: Is an Online Personal Trainer Right for You?
If you’re just starting your fitness journey, or have a specific goal in mind, a personal training app may offer the guidance you need. Working with an online personal trainer is a more flexible, convenient, and private way to get customized exercise and weight loss support than meeting with a trainer in person. Before choosing the best online personal trainer for you, consider the type of workouts you like, your budget, the exercise equipment available to you, and, most importantly, the level of interaction you want with your coach.
[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.
