Listening to Joe Rogan’s podcast for years, I have a strong affinity for the JRE Experience, particularly due to the remarkable guests he brings onto the show.
That’s why it’s evident that David Goggins is a living, breathing superhero. Rogan invites various power lifters, world-renowned fighters, and ex-military tactical geniuses onto his show, and they all acknowledge – David Goggins as the toughest man alive.
David Goggins is the only man alive to complete Navy SEAL, Army Ranger School, and the Air Force Tactical Air Controller Training. These experiences entail numerous hell weeks that push the mind, body, spirit, and heart to their breaking points, ultimately forging them into even stronger attributes.
To understand what makes Goggins the epitome of the toughest man, take a look at his accomplishments and see why it is undeniable that David Goggins is the toughest man alive.
Also see: David Goggins’s Workout Regimen in 5 Simple Steps
#11 – He Works As a Smokejumper Firefighter
During fire season, Goggins works in British Columbia as a “smokejumper”, a wild land firefighter. He battles wildfires seeking to tame them before they get out of control and demolish entire forests and homes.
Smokejumpers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world – it requires parachuting out of airplanes with gear and then getting immediately to work with no definitive end to the job.
Also see: The 13 Best Joe Rogan Podcast Guests for Motivation
#10 – Air Force Tactical Air Control Training Graduate
Of his military career, first there is the Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP). This is combat-heavy training unit, which Goggins completed, specializing in special warfare and tactics. This training comes in handy when he battles wildfires in British Colombia.
Strategy alongside heavy endurance and calisthenics transform soldiers into lean, mean fighting machines capable of using the latest tech, leading a team, or surviving as a solo invader.
#9 – Army Ranger School Graduate
On to the next military branch. Army Rangers are experts in leading missions where no one else wants to tread. These soldiers have to endure two months of high-exhaustion training that pushes their minds and bodies to the absolute limit.
Over the last 12 years, statistics show that only 49% of those who attempted Ranger School succeed. Goggins made it through.
#8 – Completed Navy SEAL Training
All right, by now you should have a basic picture of what makes Goggins the toughest man in the world, but we’ve barely started!
Navy SEALs are the heroes of the military world. They are the ones we send in to eliminate terrorists when no one else can get close to the target. To become a SEAL, you first have to be in the military (post-basic training/boot camp and AIT), and then survive limited sleep, cold water training, constant physical exercises that’ll make you puke, and advanced explosive/combat training.
That is all before you deal with 5 ½ days, known as Hell Week, with nothing more than 4-5 hours of sleep in total. Nearly 70% of enlisted SEALs fail by Hell Week.
Also see: Does David Goggins Train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
#7 – Developed a “Calloused Mind”
Listen to the Joe Rogan Experience #1212, and you’ll hear Goggins discuss how he overcame the “victims’ mentality.” To him, “No one’s coming to save you.” It is up to you to embrace your past experiences and focus on mental toughness and self-esteem by embracing the discomfort and taking accountability for your actions.
#6 – Held the Guinness World Record for Pull-Ups
Again, we need to reinforce this man’s mental toughness. If running crazy long races and learning how to kill someone with a freaking toothpick wasn’t enough, how about holding the record for most pull-ups?
Goggins broke the pull-up record by completing 4,030 pull-ups in about 17 hours – after two failed attempts. His record was later broken by Truett Hanes, one of his best friend’s (Cameron Hanes) sons.
Check out this awesome article I wrote on Truett: Who is Truett Hanes? A Fitness Superstar in the Making.
#5 – Overcame Learning Disabilities
One of the earliest transformations of David Goggins happened long before he became a military leader, accomplish author, and ultra-marathon runner. Due to many learning disabilities, he was only able to read at a 4th-grade level in high school. On top of that, he was one of only a few black students at his school, leading to many rounds of racism, bullying, and no support system.
It was here he learned the power of repetition by reviewing concepts 1,000 times or more to retain what he was studying. He understood that if he wanted to succeed, his mental toughness had to eclipse anyone else in the room.
Goggins thinks of life as psychological warfare and that’s why he wrote a best-selling book Can’t Hurt Me, to help you in that fight. I read this book twice and it literally changed my life!
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins (Amazon)
#4 – Witnessed Death at a Young Age
No matter the reason, people who have witnessed death at a young age are simply different than the rest of us. Combine that with an abusive, alcoholic father who beats you, your mother, and your brother, and you get someone with pure determination and discipline.
Also see: Trunnis Goggins Sr: The Odd Impact of David Goggins’s Dad
That is Goggins’s background. Then, when he moved to Indiana, he witnessed a classmate get run over by a bus he was on. That was only a year before his Stepdad was murdered – all of which took place to a young Goggins under 14 years of age. Wow.
#3 – An Inhuman Work Ethic
The learning disabilities story is only one rung in the many laddered journey of this man’s work ethic. This is the start of his inhuman work ethic, making him the toughest man in the world. He outworks anyone else. A sentiment he repeats on the Joe Rogan Experience #1906. He looks at any situation and puts in two to five times more effort.
#2 – He Ran 100 Miles in Under 24 Hours
Goggins is an ultra-marathon runner. The reason I’ve listed the military elite training he’s received at the bottom of the barrel is because that is just his foundation. Now, we get into the thick power of this warrior.
Instead of riding high on his accomplishment as a Navy SEAL and Army Ranger, he could easily have relaxed into retirement and the easy life. But, no he always stays in the pursuit of testing his capabilities – he is never finished. After writing his first best-selling book, he wrote a second one and titled very fittingly – Never Finished.
Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within by David Goggins (Amazon)
For example, to qualify for the Badwater 135 ultra-marathon event, David Goggins needed to prove he could compete. That required running 100 miles in under 24 hours. Even this incredibly fit guy felt his body fail with about 21 miles to go and still found the mental fortitude and grit to pass the finish line under the time limit.
#1 – A No BS Philosophy
What makes David Goggins the toughest man in the world is the no-BS philosophy he embraces. When you hear him talk to Rogan, he offers profound mindset advice:
“If someone calls you fat, they might be a bully, but they also might be right. When someone calls you dumb, you might be dumb. It’s life man. Take it for its worth and change it.”
-David Goggins
Pretty powerful stuff that reinforces the idea of suck it up, make necessary changes, and don’t get complacent.
Also see: The David Goggins Diet: Eating For High Performance
David Goggins episodes on Joe Rogan
Goggins is a mainstay of the Joe Rogan Experience. You can find him on episodes #1906, #1212, and #1080. Each conversation is a wake-up call that you can be more than you dreamed of, and all it takes is some serious mental, physical, and emotional toughness you’ll need to dig deep to unearth.
As always, thanks for reading my thoughts on these incredible guests. Be sure to check out and follow my Instagram @ericclaggett as I continue sharing my personal journey and travels.
