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‘I’m A Trainer, And This Fitness Challenge Made Me Stronger Than Ever.’

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‘I’m A Trainer, And This Fitness Challenge Made Me Stronger Than Ever.’

In December 2023, I found myself in one of the toughest transition periods of my life. I had just graduated with my master’s in clinical mental health counseling and transplanted to a new city after nine years in Orlando, where I went to college at the University of Central Florida. I also started working a 9-to-5 job in the real world. For the first time in my adult life, I no longer had the structure of school and athletics (cheerleading had been part of my identity since I was 3; I cheered through college and even tried out for Team USA but tore my Achilles.)

After leaving cheerleading behind and having to rehab multiple devastating injuries (including a torn ACL and meniscus from doing a gymnastics stunt in 2022, resulting in surgery), I felt isolated. I needed to find a sense of community.

Living in a new city on Florida’s west coast, and the lifestyle changes that came with it, was culture shock. I still wanted to prioritize working out and make new friends. I had also recently gotten certified as a personal trainer (I was inspired after working with a trainer of my own to heal from my injuries) and launched my own personal training business, so I also needed to carve out time for workout and content creation. Without a solid routine, I felt overwhelmed.

Craving more discipline and social connection, I joined a run club to meet people, but even there, I felt like I didn’t quite belong.

That’s when I decided to try the 75 Hard challenge—a mental toughness program—but with my own, more realistic spin.

I wasn’t interested in the challenge—which was created by entrepreneur Andy Frisella in 2019—for weight loss or physical transformation. My goal was to build discipline and community. My thinking was, if I could fully commit to this challenge, the mental benefits would naturally carry over into other areas of my life.

I dubbed my slightly different approach “75 Days of Discipline” to better reflect my goals. I wanted to prioritize consistency and showing up every day over intensity or perfection. Taking a leap, I asked the run club I’d joined if anyone wanted to do the challenge with me. To my surprise, over 16 people signed up, and together, we created a support network that became invaluable.

As an introvert, putting myself out there like that was nerve-wracking, but some of the people I went through the challenge with have become my closest friends. It was everything I was looking for and more.

Original 75 Hard Challenge Rules

  • Follow a structured eating plan of your choice (no alcohol allowed).
  • Do two 45-minute workouts daily (one must be outdoors).
  • Take one progress picture daily.
  • Drink 1 gallon of water daily.
  • Read 10 pages of nonfiction daily.

The 75 Hard program sometimes gets a bad rap for being unrealistic or overly intense. But my take on the challenge—focusing on discipline and consistency over toughness or perfection—helped me see it differently. The key to my success was creating balance and giving myself the grace to adjust as needed.

For example, instead of pushing through two grueling workouts daily, I alternated high-intensity and low-impact days, honoring what my body called for each day. For example, one day might involve strength training and a long walk, while another included yoga or roller skating. This approach helped me avoid burnout and injury, which is something many people misunderstand about the program.

My Biggest Lessons From 75 Days Of Discipline

I realized something important about myself through this experience: I often think I hate structure, but I actually thrive with it. The discipline required to follow through with 75 days of this challenge bled into every area of my life—from how I approach my personal training business to how I create content online.

I’ll admit, the challenge was tough, even when doing my “75 medium” approach. Between two 45-minute workouts a day, drinking a gallon of water, reading 10 pages of nonfiction, and following a diet with no alcohol, it felt like a lot at first. Though most days didn’t come easy (per Frisella’s rules, if you miss one part of the challenge, you have to restart from the beginning), so I showed up as best as I could every day to avoid starting over.

Even the daily progress pictures, which resurfaced the work I’d done to heal my relationship with body image, became a way to celebrate my body’s strength and resilience. Instead of focusing on how my body looked, I focused on what it could do—that shift in perspective was one of the most empowering takeaways from the challenge.

For my workouts, I mixed things up to keep it fresh. Some days, I’d complement my typical strength training routine (a three-day split of upper body, lower body, and core-focused workouts) with roller skating or kayaking; other days, I’d do yoga or take a long walk outside. The outdoor activity requirement was a gift in disguise—it got me out of the house, moving in nature, and trying new activities that I now love. This variety not only kept things fun but also emphasized balance—a misconception about 75 Hard that I’m passionate about correcting. You don’t need to do two grueling workouts a day; movement can be joyful and restorative too.

Here’s an overview of how I structured my workouts and activity:

  • Monday: Upper-body workout and 45-minute walk
  • Tuesday: Three-mile run and yoga
  • Wednesday: Leg workout and 45-minute walk
  • Thursday: Full-body workout and yoga
  • Friday: Film a Flippy Friday video (check out my Instagram!), plus 45-minute yoga or walk
  • Saturday: Long run (typically over an hour and a half)
  • Sunday: Choose your own adventure day (kayaking, roller skating, flipping, outdoor park workouts, etc.) and 45-minute walk

Sample full-body workout:

These four factors were key to my success in completing the challenge.

  1. I split up workouts to fit my schedule. I’m an early riser, so getting at least 30 minutes of exercise in before work was a game changer for me. Tackling two 45-minute workouts after a full day of work, on the other hand, felt overwhelming. So, breaking things up made the challenge much more manageable. By starting my day with movement, I also made progress on my hydration goal, drinking at least 40 ounces of water before 10:00 a.m. most days.
  2. I planned everything ahead of time. This challenge has a lot of moving parts—workouts, hydration, meals, reading, and more—so planning was essential. Every weekend, I set aside time to map out my meals, workouts, reading, and schedule for the week ahead. Having everything planned out eliminated decision fatigue, making even tough days more manageable.
  3. I leaned on my community. One of the biggest factors in my success was having a group of people who were going through the same journey, offering daily support and encouragement. Looking back, I know I couldn’t have finished this challenge without the support of my community. Being vulnerable and open about my struggles helped me realize I wasn’t alone. Anytime I shared how hard a day was, I received so much encouragement and reassurance. That connection reminded me that I wasn’t just doing this for myself—I was doing it alongside others, and that accountability was powerful.
  4. I used a visual progress tracker. I created a tangible way to see my progress by taping 75 sticky notes to my bathroom mirror. At the end of each day, I’d rip one off. Watching the number of notes shrink helped me stay motivated and made the challenge feel more manageable. I also wrote affirmations on the sticky notes to remind myself that I’m capable of achieving anything I put my mind to. This small act kept me focused and inspired throughout the challenge.

What’s Next For Me

The discipline and sense of community I gained through doing the challenge—and sharing my experience on Instagram—inspired the launch of 1:1 coaching through my app and website, Taryn Trains, on December 1, 2024. I am also embarking on my second round of “75 Days of Discipline” beginning on December 1, and will have unique programming available through Taryn Trains to help support others in this challenge.

If you’re thinking about trying something new, whether it’s 75 Hard or just committing to moving your body daily, I can promise you this: You’re capable of more than you think. Sometimes, all it takes is a little discipline—and a lot of community—to remind yourself of what you can achieve.

Taryn Burke, CPT, is a personal trainer, fitness content creator, and mental health counselor with a passion for empowering others to achieve physical and mental wellness.

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