David Goggins’ Remarkable Workout Routine Built For Mental Toughness
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Has David Goggins Always Been “Hard as a Coffin Nail”? 

Goggins wasn’t born hard as a coffin nail—he was hammered into one.

Before he was even a teenager, life beat him down good:

• Daily beatings from his father.
• Called racial slurs by his classmates.
• Labeled dimwitted by teachers.
• Stealing food to survive.

These experiences “calloused” his mind to hardship.

They are exactly what allowed him to complete Navy SEAL training and multiple ultramarathons despite having a heart defect and being relatively unfit and fat.

Today, Goggins is known for his “STAY HARD” mentality of mental toughness, relentless self-discipline, and pushing beyond limits.

Let’s have a look at some David Goggins numbers and achievements before getting into his daily workout routine:

Goggins’  Morning Workout Routine

Here is David Goggins’ morning workout routine. His workouts aren’t about looking fit—they’re about breaking limits. Most people quit at 40%, but that’s when the real work begins.

Goggins trains daily, no matter the pain. His routine doesn’t just build muscle—it forges an unbreakable mind.

You can try his workout for just one day if you’re ready to callous your mind and push past what you thought was possible.

Wake Up and Run

• Endurance. Goggins runs 10-15 miles every morning before the Sun hits snooze. He is always in ultramarathon shape and prides himself on the discipline and mental resilience it takes to wake up at 4:00 AM and run each morning. He lives in Las Vegas and is often seen running the roads at weird times.

Brooks Addiction Shoes → Garmin Enduro 3 →

• Mental toughness. Goggins’ morning run isn’t just about endurance—it’s a mental battle. Most people quit not because their body gives out, but because their mind does. That’s exactly why he does it. Pushing through exhaustion, pain, and discomfort isn’t a side effect of his training—it’s the goal.
• Hydration. Goggins drinks lots of water + electrolytes. He lives in Vegas and is constantly running and biking outdoors. He needs to rehydrate often. He is often seen running with a CamelBak to stay hydrated during his runs.

Serious Stretch Routine

• Reduce injury risk. Goggins dedicates 2 hours each morning to his methodical stretching routine. He also uses a massage gun for problem areas like his hamstrings and calves.

TheraGun Massage Gun → Manduka Pro Yoga Mat →

• Recovery. Goggins know that stretching after a long run helps maintain mobility and flexibility by promoting circulation to muscles. He has mentioned that just one day of missed stretching ruins his entire week of working out.
• Water and electrolytes. Goggins has 1 L of water + electrolytes to rehydrate. On some days he will have a protein shake at this time as well.

Momentous Protein →

Long Bike Ride

• Leg strength training. By mid-morning Goggins is ready for another cardio session, this time on his Trek Domane SLR9 bike. He hits the roads outside Vegas (where he lives) and completes 25 miles (40 km) in 1 to 1.5 hours. Getting on the bike adds variety to his brutal training schedule and helps to train his lower body strength & endurance.
• Low-impact cardio. Running is high impact on the joints so biking gives his joints a break.

Trek Domane SLR9 →

Break The Fast

• 16:8 Fasting. Goggins is just as disciplined with his eating as his training. He does not have cheat meals. He eats the same meals over and over. And he follows a strict 16:8 fasting schedule. This means he eats his first meal at 11:00 AM and his last meal 8 hours later at 7:00 PM. Then he fasts for 16 hours. Fasting is the only scientifically proven method for humans to prolong lifespan because it enhances cellular repair.
• First we eat. Goggins has a core 20 or so foods he eats: Chicken, fish, steak, game-meat, eggs, avocados, berries, nuts, olive oil, peanut butter, select veggies, oatmeal and rice. A typical meal right now would be: Scrambled eggs (6 eggs), a full avocado and a big hand full of spinach drizzled with olive oil.

Daytime Workout Routine

Calisthenics Routine

• Full-body strength training. Now’s the time for pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups. Goggins does hundreds (sometimes 1,000s) of each per day. He prefers high rep/low weight strength training because he find it harder on the mind.

Lunch

• Fuel stop #2. For lunch Goggins will have grilled meat (chicken or fish), steamed broccoli, and almonds. His meals are simple, clean, and designed to sustain ultraendurance performance while keeping his body lean and strong.

Swim Time

• Low-impact cardio. Swimming is zero impact cardio perfect for people like Goggins who want to push their body to the brink.
• Improve lung capacity. Goggins does laps alternating the different strokes (freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke) to keep his muscles guessing. He also skips breaths to make it even harder and to improve his lung capacity.
• Supreme shoulder and back workout. Have you ever swam for 1-hour no rest? For the unexperienced it is your shoulder muscles that give-out before your heart and lungs. Goggins has mentioned swimming benefits his shoulders as much as his lungs and endurance.
• Goggins hates the water. Goggins has mentioned in many social media videos how much he hates the water. This is exactly why he swims everyday.

Snack

• Protein shake. It’s time for more fuel. Goggins’ snack is a double shot of protein powder, a few spoons of peanut butter, and mix it with a liter (1/4 gallon) of water in a blender. He adds some berries or banana if he’s feeling like it.

Momentous Protein → Momentous Vital Aminos →

Run Again

• Mental resilience. Goggins’ 2nd run of the day is a “short” shake-out run to get the blood moving through his muscles. He typically runs 6 miles (10 km) for his evening run.

Dinner

• Feast #3. Steak or salmon with asparagus and mixed greens. Don’t fret—this isn’t some dainty portion. It’s a hefty hunk of beef or fish. This is Goggins last meal of the day, his final chance to load up before 16-hours of fasting.

Evening Workout Routine

Stretch Again

• Recovery & longevity. Goggins loves his stretching. He has mentioned he stretches for up to 4-hours some days. His evening stretch routine is no different than his morning routine (See above).

Shutdown Mode

• Recharge. Reset. Repeat. Yes, Goggins sleeps—but just enough to function. Around 10:00 PM, after another grueling day, he finally shuts down, only to rise again at 4:00 AM and do it all over. If you’re counting, that’s about 6-hours of sleep—no more, no less. Comfort isn’t the priority. Discipline is.

Now It’s Your Turn

You’ve seen how Goggins attacks his day—now it’s your turn.

Ready to push yourself like he does?

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