Get Tough Using This David Goggins Workout Routine

The fact that one of the most highly regarded coaches in the NFL has given David Goggins such a high recommendation speaks volumes about the quality of the man he is.

It’s hard to imagine someone who went from a depressed and overweight young man with no prospects in the United States Armed Forces to one of the world’s most revered athletes. 

In the past, we’ve studied ancient warriors because of their will, determination, grit, and raw physical strength; they were among history’s most fearsome figures.

David Goggins, aka “The World’s Toughest Man,” is a motivational speaker and a professional triathlete. Because of his ultra-marathon running accomplishments and world record pull-ups, he epitomizes both mental and physical toughness and grit.

Goggins is a great role model for those looking for motivation. You can boost your mental and physical fortitude by studying Goggins’ daily routine and applying it to your own life.

Everything he does revolves around getting used to discomfort. Rather than settling for what you have now and what you’re capable of now, always push yourself into new and unfamiliar territory.

Continue Reading this article about David Goggins workout routines if you want to get and inspired and be tough like him.

Who is David Goggins?

David Goggins is a well-known figure, an ultramarathon runner, ultra-distance cyclist, and triathlete who is also a motivational speaker and retired U.S. Navy SEAL.

Goggins, who was born on February 17, 1975, is well-known for his near-superhuman athleticism and was raised in Buffalo, New York.

He is the only person who has completed Navy SEAL training, Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical Control Training despite having asthma and heart defects. In addition, David Goggins served in Iraq and Afghanistan while in the military. 

“Can’t Hurt Me, Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds” are the works by David Goggins. The hope is that by sharing his incredible journey and inspirational story, he will encourage others to stay strong both physically and mentally.

To date, Goggins has completed over 60 ultra-marathons and ultra-distance events, including triathlons and ultra-distance triathlons, regularly breaking records and finishing in the top five every time.

For 17 hours, he held the Guinness World Record for the most pull-ups completed in one sitting.

• What inspires David Goggins?

None of David’s accolades, awards, or magazine articles matter in the slightest. His actions aren’t motivated by that.

The Special Operations Warrior Foundation has benefited greatly from David’s efforts, but none of that matters to him. He has no ambitions of world dominance.

He has no interest in the number of races he has completed. When it comes to mileage, he doesn’t care. 

Instead, he’s focused on exceeding his expectations and pushing himself to new limits.

For no other reason than to see what he’s made of, David chooses to run the most difficult races and put himself through the most rigorous military training programs in the country.

No other experience has made him feel more clear, focused, and alive than the physical and mental torment he has endured in the past.

Poverty, prejudice, and physical abuse colored David Goggins’s days and haunted him at night.

He became a U.S. Army legend and one of the world’s top endurance athletes through self-control, mental toughness, and hard work.

“The Fittest (Real) Man in America” is given to Goggins to honor the only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller.

• Workout Principle

On YouTube, Goggins has appeared in many inspirational videos. There are stories about how he ran two marathons and lost 106 pounds in three months, and his work ethic is a true “go hard or go home.” He once held the record for the most pull-ups completed in 24 hours.

I admire Goggins, but he can be difficult to put into words. In every class, he consistently ranks first or second.

Goggins also mentioned in his book “Can’t Hurt Me”, that people only use about 40% of their potential as humans.

He explains how to get the rest of the way there in his book, Can’t Hurt Me. One can learn from Goggins’ story of pushing through pain, fear, and limiting beliefs to realize one’s full potential.

David Goggins Workout Routine

Goggins emphasizes the importance of mindset in his memoir/self-help book. When it comes to anything, he believes that most people are only able to produce 40% of what they are capable of.

Even when we feel exhausted and incapable of going any further, Goggins believes we are only 40% of the way there.

Less than a quarter of the time. When it comes to endurance activities, imagine what would happen if we adopted this mindset.

It’s less than half of what we’re capable of doing when we think we can’t go any further.

He holds this mindset very close to his heart and understanding it can help motivate and understand Goggins’ daily routine, especially when training for an ultramarathon.

Set your guards high because this isn’t something you want to put yourself through every day. When training for an ultra-marathon, keep in mind that this routine is held to the highest standard.

David Goggin must maintain a daily routine to keep his mind and body in peak condition. Here’s his daily routine:

• 3:00 – 4:00 AM: Wake Up
• 4:00 AM: Run 10-15 miles
• 6:00 AM: Bike 25 miles to work
• 11:00 AM: Run during lunch
• After Work (varies): Bike home
• After arriving home maybe another 3-6 mile run

David Goggins: Timing The Workouts

Goggins, like many other top athletes and successful people, gets up early at around 3 or 4 in the morning. He begins his workout routine with a 10- to 15-mile run.

After that, he takes a quick shower before hopping on his bike and riding 25 miles to work. This, of course, means that at the end of the day, he’ll have to cycle another 25 miles back home, for a total of 50 miles of cycling per day.

To sum it up, his routine is massive in every way. Even without the 150 miles of cardio per week, his 3 a.m. wake-up call would be enough to make anyone shudder. There’s no need to be Goggins here, but that’s not the point.

It’s critical, however, to have a firm grasp on the framework that drives top-performers’ performance and know just how far the human body can be pushed.

Moreover, it’s not like Goggins himself enjoys this. When it comes to working out, he’s made it clear that he despises all three: running, swimming, and bicycling. It’s something he does daily, and he’s very good at it.

To put it another way, according to his book, he doesn’t do it for the praise, but rather to see what his body is capable of doing.

Goggins has revealed that he follows a strict workout routine. He had to shed more than 100 pounds when he enlisted in the Navy.

No matter how much he loathes the activities, he continues to engage in them daily. It takes him 25 miles to get to work after he gets out of the shower.

David Goggins: Focusing On The Core Routine

In terms of endurance sports, Goggins places a lot of emphasis on his core strength, which is the most effective way to deal with it.

Having a strong body starts with a strong core, and Goggins is no exception; he works hard to strengthen his abs and core. A lot of cardio has helped him lower his resting heart rate to 32 beats per minute, according to his testimony. 

Here’s Goggins’ core routine:

• Swiss-ball obliques – 25 reps, 2 sets
• Russian sit-ups – 10 reps, 4 sets
• V-ups – 10 reps, 3 sets
• Broomstick obliques – 10 reps, 3 sets

Here is David Goggins’ cardio routine:

• Running (10-15 miles)
• Biking (25 miles)
• Lunchtime: Running (5-8 miles)
• After work: Biking (25 miles)
• After work: Running (3-5 miles)

David Goggins: Weight Lifting and Bodyweight routine

While Goggins despises running, cycling, and swimming, he prefers weightlifting. He was a hulk in the military and had massive muscles from lifting weights at the gym for many hours.

He only lifts weights for 90 minutes after dinner, and only for endurance sports like triathlons, before going to bed around midnight.

He only lifts lightweights because he doesn’t want to bulk up his body. Despite this, he ensures that it is a strenuous workout to help him push his body to its limits.

It’s worth noting that Goggins believes that when it comes to weightlifting, moderation is key. This is why he has stopped lifting weights every day. Instead, he does it four times a week and allows his muscles to heal and grow on the other three days.

Goggins performs five different exercises in this weight lifting and bodyweight routine

Bodyweight Routine

• Push-ups – 25 reps, 5 sets
• Lunges – 12 reps, 3 sets
• Squats – 5 reps, 5 sets
• Pull-ups – 5 reps, 3 sets
• Deadlifts – 10 reps, 3 sets

Chest Workout

• Bench press – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Dumbbell press – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Chest press – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Cable cross – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Dumbbell flyes – 15 reps, 5 sets

Back Workout

• Deadlift – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Lat pulldown – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Cable rows – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Close grip lat pulldowns – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Back lat pushdowns – 15 reps, 5 sets
• One-arm dumbbell row – 15 reps, 5 sets

Arms Workout

• Bicep curls – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Barbell curls – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Triceps kickback – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Triceps extension – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Triceps push-downs – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Preacher curls – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Isolation curls – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Skull crusher – 15 reps, 5 sets

Leg Workouts

• Leg press – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Squats – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Leg extension – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Leg curls – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Walking lunges – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Stiff-leg deadlifts – 15 reps, 5 sets
• Calf raises – 15 reps, 5 sets

Goggins believes that stretching every day is an essential component of recovery, which is why he does it to the extreme.

Every morning, he stretches for two to three hours and follows an extensive stretching routine.

5 David Goggins Workout Routine

It’s more important than ever to maintain a healthy mind and body, but finding the right instructor can be difficult.

With so many self-proclaimed “experts” on social media promising to help you lose weight in just 30 days, it’s hard to know which ones are genuine.

One of the world’s toughest men, David Goggins is a master of mental toughness, and his workouts are among the most brutal you’ll find online.

Incredibly, he only needs a mat and a lot of water for most of his workouts.

Goggins has put together a list of five home workouts that have been tried and tested by Navy Seals. Even though exercises like jumping jacks, sit-ups, and lunges may appear simple. It will be painful, but the reward will be priceless, as he says. 

Below are the top 5 workouts by David Goggins:

Workout 1: Calisthenics Workout  (45 mins)

Goggins posted this workout to his Instagram and Facebook shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and it’s still available on YouTube if you want to follow along.

Goggins puts an Australian gym class through their paces in Sydney, Australia, as they try their hardest to keep up. Jumping jacks will never be the same after this.

The workout flow:

• Jumping jacks (10 min)
• 10 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups. Repeat. (10 min )
• 115 alternating lunges
• 110 unassisted sit-ups
• 2×25 push up to planks
• 25 Unassisted sit-ups
• 10 jumping jacks/10 push-ups (3 sets)

Workout 2: Calisthenics Workout  (1 Hour)

Goggins proves in his second full workout video, which he posted from his front room with lockdown in full swing, that you don’t need a squat rack and barbell to get a good leg workout.

The workout flow:

• 140 lunges
• 140 squats
• 140 lunges
• 100 squats
• 1 min rest/hydrate
• 250 jumping jacks 
• 1 min rest/hydrate
• 230 Sit-ups
• 1 min rest/hydrate
• 180 push-ups (10 reps every 30 seconds x 18)
• 1 min rest/hydrate
• 25 arm haulers, 25 push-ups (Repeat x 4)

Workout 3: The 4 x 4 x 48

The 4x4x48 is arguably Goggins’ most famous workout, a pure test of mental strength. The concept is simple: For 48 hours, run four miles every four hours. Fun.

Goggins puts his 2.7 million Instagram followers to the test regularly, which he, of course, participates in as well.

This is by far the worst workout, but you can rest assured that thousands of other fitness freaks from around the world will be doing it at the same time when Goggins drops the challenge.

Workout 4: The Push-Up Challenge

Isn’t it interesting that if you did 17 push-ups every minute for an hour, you’d have done 1,020 altogether? Hmm, quite a challenge you want to try.

A stopwatch and a pen and paper are all you need for this simple workout. You can write down your progress as you go along with this simple workout.

A Navy Seal can do a lot of push-ups. If you can do this workout once a week, your push-ups will improve a lot.

Workout 5: The Burpee Test

The burpee is one of the worst bodyweight exercises of all time, and it’s a real pain in the ass for anyone who does them.

In the burpee, you start by lying on the ground in a plank position. You then do a push-up, kick your knees to your chest, and jump into a jumping jack, blasting your arms and chest and legs and abs as you go.

Words of Inspiration From David Goggins

Goggins writes in his memoir “Can’t Hurt Me” about the hardships he endured as a child as a result of poverty, prejudice, and abuse.

After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Air Force and served until the age of 23. When he was 24, he ballooned to nearly 300 pounds after being discharged from the military.

The Navy SEAL training, which required him to lose at least 191 pounds to participate, also occurred at this time.

This man of unbridled determination completed the SEAL training and thus became the first and only person to complete Air Control, US Army Ranger School, and US Navy SEALs training.

That’s not all, as evidenced by over 60 ultramarathons, triathlons, and even ultra-triathlons he has completed.

He established himself as one of the greatest endurance athletes in the world with Badwater. For an ultramarathon novice, finishing 5th overall in an event like Badwater was completely out of the question.

But that isn’t even the most impressive part of this story. Asthma, obesity, and ASD (a congenital heart defect) have all hindered his ability to engage in certain activities, such as scuba diving or hiking at high altitudes.

David Goggins is a person who believes in the power of the mind to overcome the limitations of the body.

There is no doubt in his mind that anyone can achieve the same level of success as him as long as they have the mental fortitude to do so.

The term “mental fortitude” will take on a whole new meaning when you see his daily routine in terms of exercise and nutrition.

There is no doubt about it: Goggins is a machine. Many people don’t work out as much as he does every day.

This means he has pushed his body and his mind to the limit. He still takes a day off every seven days so that his body can rest and heal. Just a little of what he does will put you miles ahead of him both literally and figuratively. 

And even more important than the routine itself is the way you think about your day. The only thing that can stop you if you want to do something and have the drive to do it is you.