- 75 Medium is a new trend that’s gaining popularity on social media platforms like TikTok.
- It’s designed as a more sustainable alternative to the 75 Hard challenge.
- It includes daily movement, flexible nutrition, and mindset habits.
- Experts say the 75 Medium challenge may help people lose weight and improve fitness by making sustainable, realistic lifestyle changes.
If you’ve scrolled TikTok recently, you might have seen #75Medium popping up in your feed
The 75 Medium Challenge is the latest spin on the 75-day challenge trend that exploded with 75 Hard, but without the gruelling rules that made that version so intimidating.
Unlike 75 Hard, which asks participants to complete two 45-minute workouts a day, follow a strict diet with no cheat meals or alcohol, and restart from day one if any task is missed, 75 Medium aims to be more sustainable for everyday life.
It’s positioned as a middle ground between 75 Hard and the more flexible 75 Soft, which gained traction as a gentler alternative.
Instead of extreme measures, 75 Medium includes 45 minutes of daily movement, a 90/10 diet approach, moderate hydration goals, no alcohol, 10 minutes of daily learning, and 10 minutes of daily meditation.
The challenge is championed by many who advocate a more sensible and sustainable approach to fitness and weight loss, especially for beginners making new lifestyle changes.
“The 75 Medium challenge sits in a far more realistic middle ground than 75 Hard, while still offering more structure than 75 Soft,” James Bickerstaff, a personal trainer at OriGym told Healthline.
“Compared to 75 Hard, which many people find unsustainable due to its intensity and all-or-nothing rules, 75 Medium removes some of the extreme pressure while keeping daily consistency at the core,” he added.
Bickerstaff said for many people this version will be more sustainable long term, because it recognizes that progress comes from repeatable habits, not perfection.
Still, some might question if 45 minutes of daily movement is enough, but Bickersaff believes it is.
“From a fitness perspective, 45 minutes of daily movement is a strong baseline for improving health, fitness, and body composition,” he noted. “For many, 45 minutes of daily exercise is enough to improve cardiovascular fitness, build routine, and support weight loss when it’s paired with healthy, moderate eating.”
Kathrine Brown, certified coach and founder of Conscious Weight Loss, agreed.
“45 minutes of daily movement will be enough if the movement is appropriate, enjoyable, and repeatable,” she told Healthline. “This is because weight loss doesn’t come from heroic workouts; it comes from reducing friction around consistency. A daily walk done with presence will always outperform sporadic, intense training.”
Another key component of the 75 Medium challenge is sticking to your chosen diet 90% of the time, leaving room for treats. But are people likely to see weight-loss results with this mindset?
Bickerstaff said the 90/10 rule can remove the guilt cycle that derails most diets.
“Allowing even the smallest bit of flexibility helps you stay consistent without feeling restricted or deprived, which is often why stricter challenges fail,” he explained. “Weight loss is still very achievable with this mindset, because consistency over a long time matters far more than short-term perfection.”
Brown said this is one of the most positive aspects of the 75 Medium challenge.
“The nervous system learns through repetition, not punishment. A 90/10 approach allows learning to occur while behaviour is still imperfect, while also reducing the “what-the-hell” effect after small setbacks,” she shared.
However, Brown believes some people may be better off starting with even more flexibility around diet.
“I would go further and say start with 67/33, where 2 out of 3 choices are leading you in a better direction. Then build to 90/10,” she said.
“Will people lose weight this way? Often, yes, because they stay engaged long enough for patterns to actually shift. Weight loss comes from consistency, not moral purity around food,” she added.
The 75 Medium Challenge isn’t just about what you eat or how frequently you exercise. It also encourages mindfulness and mental health habits.
Brown noted that this can positively influence some behaviors related to diet and exercise.
“Daily learning and meditation build conscious windows between urge and action, and increase emotional regulation,” she said.
“Building mental routines alongside physical ones creates a more resilient approach to health rather than a short-term challenge mindset,” he said. “Think about it, how many times have you made [an unhealthy] eating choice after a stressful day? When you manage your stress better, you recover better, make smarter food choices, and miss fewer workouts.”
If you’re considering trying 75 Medium, tailoring the challenge to fit your lifestyle and interests can help you stay consistent and see results.
“My biggest advice is to treat 75 Medium as a framework you’re in charge of, not a test you pass or fail,” said Bickerstaff.
“Choose exercises you genuinely enjoy so the 45 minutes feels achievable even on busy days and plan workouts and walks into your schedule like appointments,” he advised.
A little planning around food can help, too.
“Keep your nutrition on track by meal prepping for the week ahead. This will make it feel more convenient and remove any excuses,” Bickerstaff said.
He also suggests using the learning and meditation time to “wind down and reflect on your day.”
“The people who see results are the ones who focus on showing up consistently, not doing everything perfectly,” he said.
Brown also noted that ensuring your approach to 75 Medium fosters self-trust rather than reinforces external control will likely help you achieve the best results.
“If you use 75 Medium as temporary scaffolding to build awareness and momentum, it can be useful. If you treat it as what will finally ‘fix’ you, you’re simply recreating the all-or-nothing thinking we see with every iteration of these challenges,” she said.
