How to Start 75 Hard as a Woman: A 7-Step Plan (RD-Reviewed)

The 7-step pre-start plan

Step 1 — Get baseline bloodwork (week before)

At minimum: ferritin, vitamin D, TSH (thyroid), and a complete metabolic panel. If anything is low, treat it before starting. Women under 30 ng/mL ferritin will struggle through 75 Hard.

Step 2 — Track your cycle for at least one full month before Day 1

If your cycle is regular, note which phase you’ll be in during Day 1, Day 21, Day 40, and Day 60. Pre-plan modifications for menstrual and luteal phases. (The Her 75 app does this automatically.)

Step 3 — Pre-decide your modifications

Don’t wait for the moment to negotiate with yourself. Decide now:

• Menstrual days: drop water to 3 L, swap second workout for a walk
• Luteal week: gentler intensity on second workout, sleep 8+ hours
• Travel days: hotel-gym session + 45-min outdoor walk
• Weather emergency: indoor workout substitution

Save this list in your phone notes. Reread it on Day 3 (the highest-quit day).

Step 4 — Prep your Day 1 photo spot

Same wall, same lighting, same time of day, same outfit. Take a test photo the day before Day 1 to lock the framing. Your camera roll is the receipts.

Step 5 — Buy the minimum gear

• 1-gallon water bottle (any brand)
• A nonfiction book you’re actually excited about (10 pages × 75 = 750 pages)
• A pair of outdoor-walking shoes if you don’t already own them
• Your usual workout gear — do not buy new clothes you haven’t tested

That’s it. Resist optimization fatigue.

Step 6 — Invite 1–3 friends

Solo 75 Hard finishes less often than group challenges across Her 75 app data. Friends don’t need to do the same mode — just see your daily updates.

Step 7 — Pick your start day

Monday or 1st-of-month. Take your Day 1 photo before you do anything else. Drink your first glass of water at breakfast. Plan your two workout windows on your calendar.

What to expect on Day 1

You’ll feel adrenaline, slight overwhelm, and possibly a craving for something you said you wouldn’t eat. Drink water. Take the photo. Do the first workout early. Get through Day 1.

The Day 3 trap

Day 3 is the highest-quit day. Doubt + soreness + first social skepticism. Reread your modification plan, drink water, do the workout. If you survive Day 3, your completion probability jumps from 25% to 62%.

What to do if you’re unsure about 75 Hard

Start with 75 Soft for 75 days. Then 75 Medium. Then 75 Day Hard. Three rounds of progressively harder challenges has a higher completion rate than jumping directly into Hard.

Download Her 75 → it handles every step above.