Why I Created 100 Sharp After Completing 75 Hard Twice

I'm BigZ. C-level executive at a global B2B software company. Father of two. Almost 47 years old. I've completed 15+ half Ironmans, 2 full Ironmans, a 100-mile ultramarathon, and 75 Hard—twice.

I'm not telling you this to brag. I'm telling you because I need you to understand: I've done the extreme stuff. I know what works. And I know what breaks people.

100 Sharp isn't a copy of 75 Hard. It's my answer to what I wish 75 Hard had been.

The Problem I Needed to Solve

To achieve real results, you need two things: a clear goal and a routine to get there. Running around with no plan won't improve you. Keeping some flexible diet won't give you results. Getting in better shape, losing weight, learning something new—these require building habits. Small increments compound over time.

I learned this training for Ironman. I learned it again doing 75 Hard. The question was never "does discipline work?" The answer is obviously yes.

The question was: "How do I create a challenge that's hard enough to transform people but smart enough not to break them?"

What 75 Hard Taught Me

Let me be clear: 75 Hard is a great challenge. When I did it, I transformed. The mental toughness I built is real and lasting. I recommend it to anyone who wants to prove something to themselves.

But here's what I experienced:

The first days are brutal. You don't see results. It feels hard with no visible progress. This starts changing around Day 20-25 when you lose a few kilograms, when you notice you've learned something, when the habits start clicking. That's why consistency matters—you have to get through the valley before the mountain.

The no grace day rule cuts both ways. On one hand, it removes excuses. There's no negotiating with yourself. But when I got lightly sick during one attempt, I had to go out anyway—and got much worse. I lost a week instead of a day. Having 2 grace days without losing the whole challenge would have been smarter.

90 minutes of exercise daily is a lot. Two 45-minute workouts, 7 days a week, adds up. I was already training for endurance events, so my total was sometimes 120-130 minutes daily. That's sustainable for a few months, but it crowds out everything else.

Missing strength training and stretching. 75 Hard specifies two workouts but doesn't emphasize what kind. I'm 46. I need more than just cardio. I need strength work to preserve muscle mass that naturally decreases with age. I need stretching to stay flexible and prevent injuries. When I did 75 Hard, I added these anyway—but they weren't part of the program.

No built-in family time. The challenge consumed me. My kids saw less of me. My wife adjusted her schedule around my workouts. It worked, but it felt wrong. Getting fit shouldn't mean abandoning the people you're getting fit for.

Reading without reflecting. I read 750 pages during 75 Hard and remembered surprisingly little. Consumption without processing isn't learning.

No digital boundaries. 75 Hard didn't address the attention crisis that steals our evenings. I'd finish my workouts, collapse on the couch, and scroll my phone until midnight—exactly the behavior I wanted to change.

What I Built Different

100 Sharp (and its foundation, 60 Sharp) addresses each of these gaps:

Structured Training That Makes Sense

40 + 40: 40 minutes of workout plus 40 minutes of outdoor activity. That's 80 minutes total—enough to create an 800-1000 calorie deficit when combined with clean eating. Enough to build fitness. Not so much that you're grinding into the ground.

Progressive Power: (Day + 10) pushups, core work, and 5 minutes of stretching or yoga. This ensures you're building strength, not just endurance. It scales with you—Day 1 is 11 pushups, Day 60 is 70. And the mandatory stretching keeps you mobile.

I usually train for something specific—an ultra, a marathon, an Ironman—during challenges. With 100 Sharp, my structured training fits into about 80 minutes daily average. You can always do more if you feel like it, but the baseline is achievable.

I believe 80 minutes is enough to burn roughly 1000 calories, which combined with 1800-2000 calorie intake means about 1kg of weight loss per week. That math works.

Grace Days: Risk Management, Not Weakness

2 grace days for 60 Sharp. 3 for 100 Sharp.

These aren't "cheat days." They're insurance. Use them for real emergencies—illness, family crisis, unavoidable work travel. Not for "I don't feel like it today."

Having this safety valve is highly motivational. If I get sick on Day 40, I don't lose 40 days of progress. I use a grace day, recover properly, and continue. This prevents the spiral where one bad day becomes "I'll just restart next month" becomes never.

The Sunday Exception: Family First

One day weekly where all tasks are optional. Not a rest day where you sit around. A family day where you invest in relationships.

I believe having a day when you can go out with family without thinking about anything else is critical. Most people who do these challenges are doing them for someone—kids, spouse, future self. Neglecting those people during the challenge misses the point.

Rest is when you get better, not when you're working. This is training science. Every serious athletic program builds in recovery. Having one day off doesn't break the habit—it creates a sustainable habit that matches how elite athletes actually train.

Digital Sunset: The Missing Rule

Phone on charger at 9 PM.

This changed my life more than any workout. I used to keep time for kids between 6:30-8:30 PM, then pick up my phone and spend hours scrolling socials, browsing Slack, watching content I didn't care about. Suddenly it's midnight. I haven't learned anything. I can't sleep. When I watched a movie, I realized I missed most of it because I was on my phone.

What works for me: put the phone on the stairs, turn it off, don't touch it. I can still read or watch movies—but I can't do mindless social scrolling. That time becomes reading before sleep, which is magical. Your mind leaves work behind. You sleep better.

Read AND Reflect

10 pages daily plus writing down one thing you learned. After 60 days, you have 600 pages read and 60 documented insights. That's a reference you can use. That's actual retention.

Just reading and not reflecting doesn't make you remember important things. The writing is what transforms consumption into learning.

Skill Sharpening: The Compound Interest Rule

10 minutes daily learning something new. Language, coding, instrument, whatever you choose.

Over 60 days, that's 10 hours of practice. Over 100 days, that's nearly 17 hours. I used this time to learn AI coding tools. By the end of my challenge, I could use Claude Code to build web pages—like this one. Small investments compound dramatically.

Why 60 and 100?

60 Sharp gets you excellent results. You can easily lose 5-8kg. You can learn basic AI usage, or get conversational in a language, or develop a real skill. It's also a duration most people are willing to commit to. You can realistically be injury-free and illness-free for 60 days. It's enough time to cement habits.

100 Sharp is for more ambitious people. The ones who finish a half marathon and immediately sign up for a full. Who do a marathon and then an Ironman. Who run 50k and then 100 miles. People who are always looking for what seems unachievable.

I fall into that second category. But I also know most people should start with 60.

The Results That Matter

Last year I decided to do a personally altered 75 Hard—adding the elements I described above. The difference was remarkable:

• Better physical results (strength training and stretching prevented injuries)
• Better relationships (protected family time)
• Better sleep (digital sunset)
• Better retention (forced reflection)
• More sustainable energy (realistic training volume)
• New skills (10 minutes daily adds up)

I achieved what I wanted from 75 Hard without the parts that felt unsustainable.

The Blade Metaphor

Why "Sharp"?

Because sharp is a skill. Athletes stay sharp through training. Scholars through study. Leaders through failure. All sharpen continuously.

Like a blade, you start as raw material. Through heat (challenge), pressure (consistency), and refinement (reflection), you become something sharp. But even the finest blade dulls with use. Sharpening never stops.

That's why we have the Blade Journey—Forge, Grind, Temper, Sharpen, Polish—and Sharpness Levels from Dull to Scary Sharp. It's not just a fitness challenge. It's a philosophy.

The Medal That Proves It

One more thing: the knife medals.

Having that cool, unique medal you can put on the wall or have behind you on business video calls—it's a great conversation starter. It proves you're someone who can work hard. Someone who's always looking to evolve, improve, not settle for dull moments.

Complete 60 Sharp and earn the Chef's Knife medal. Complete 100 Sharp and earn the Razor Blade medal. These aren't participation trophies. They're proof.

This Isn't a Copy—It's an Evolution

100 Sharp isn't trying to replace 75 Hard. It's my take on what works for people like me:

• Busy professionals who can't disappear for 75 days
• Parents who won't sacrifice family time
• Athletes who need intelligent training structure
• People over 35 who need recovery built in
• Anyone who wants transformation without burnout

It's for people who've done programs like 75 Hard and want something different—focused on body, mind, learning, and family time.

The Transformation Is Real

I've included photos showing my progress during one of these challenges. The physical change is visible. But the mental change is bigger.

I now have habits that don't require motivation. I read daily. I learn daily. I move daily. I put my phone away at night. I prioritize family. These aren't things I "should" do—they're things I do.

That's what getting sharp means.

Your Turn

You're reading this for a reason. Something in your life feels dull. You want change but you're skeptical of extreme programs that burn people out.

60 Sharp or 100 Sharp might be exactly what you need. Not easier than 75 Hard. Different. Smarter. More sustainable.

Start any Monday. It's completely free. The only cost is showing up for 60 days.

Ready to get sharp? Start 60 Sharp | See 100 Sharp

Sharp body. Sharp mind. Sharp life. No dull moments.

I hope you find it as transformative as I did.

— BigZ