David Goggins does not just run. He makes running harder on purpose. To do this, he straps on a heavy weight vest and goes to war with his mind. (If you want to know what he puts on his feet before he grabs his vest, check out our full breakdown of the exact David Goggins running shoe rotation.
Are you tired of easy workouts? Do you want to build iron lungs and a strong body? Normal running is great, but adding extra weight changes everything. It turns a basic jog into a brutal, full-body grind.
Finding a vest that does not bounce or break is tough. In this post, we look at the exact David Goggins weight vest. We will show you why he trusts the 5.11 Tactical vest to hold his heavy plates. Then, we will guide you on how to pick the right gear to crush your next workout.
The Exact Vest: MiR Short Weighted Vest
When David Goggins hits the gym for his insane pull-up workouts, he wears the MiR Short Weighted Vest.
Why does he choose this exact vest?
It comes down to fit and flexibility. Many weight vests hang down too low. When you bend over or do high pull-ups, long vests stab you in the stomach. The MiR vest is cut very short. It stops high on your chest, giving your core total freedom to move.
Also, instead of using large metal plates, the MiR vest uses small, individual iron blocks. You can slide these little blocks into dozens of tight pockets. This lets you adjust the exact weight you want to carry because the vest straps down so tightly, the iron blocks never bounce, even when Goggins is grinding out hundreds of reps.
Click Here to Grab The MiR Short Weighted Vest
The Budget-Friendly Alternative: RUNMax Pro
The MiR vest is amazing, but it is very expensive. If you want to train like Goggins on a budget, check out the RUNMax Pro Weighted Vest.
This vest costs a lot less. Instead of expensive solid iron blocks, it uses compact sand weights. While sand weights do not have the extreme lifetime durability of solid iron, they are the absolute best starting point for beginners if you are running 100-mile races. It still fits tightly to your body and will make your daily runs and pull-ups much harder. It is the perfect way to test your mental toughness without spending hundreds of dollars today.
Click Here to grab the RUNMax Pro Weighted Vest
The Heavy Iron: What Goes Inside the Vest?
A weight vest is useless without the weight. David Goggins usually runs and trains with anywhere from 20 to 40 extra pounds strapped to his chest.
If you buy the MiR vest, it comes with a starter set of small iron blocks. But as you get stronger, you will need to buy extra blocks. If you are training for extreme distances like David Goggins, solid iron or flat metal plates are the absolute gold standard. Iron blocks lock tightly into place; they never shift when you run, and they will literally last a lifetime of abuse.
Click Here to Grab the MiR solid iron weights
Click Here to Grab the weight vest plates pair
Conclusion: Time to Carry the Boats
David Goggins does not use gear to make his life easier. He uses it to push his limits. Whether you choose the premium MiR vest or the budget RUNMax, adding weight to your workouts will change your life.
Stop doing easy workouts. Strap on a vest, hit the pull-up bar, and see what you are truly made of. And if you are going to take that extra weight out for a run on the pavement or the trails, make sure your joints are protected by checking out the David Goggins running shoe rotation next.
