Get Inspired With A Motivational Talk From Personal Trainer, MMA Fighter and MP Paul Almquist

In this episode of Over The Edge Podcast I speak with Paul Almquist. Paul was first introduced to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)at 15 and has been training with the sport ever since. He first went pro at the age of 22 and has had an incredibly successful career. Paul is a National Guardsman; Military Police Division who graduated at the top of his class with high honors. Paul overcame a lot of adversity from dropping out of high school to reading college level books daily and being selected out of a class of over 200 to deliver the commencement speech at his basic training graduation. Paul recently opened a new chapter in his life as a Personal Trainer with Tier 1 Fitness where he is coaching clients to become the best they can be and "Get Better Together".  Paul regularly participates in long distance competitive races including the 28 mile March Of The Fallen to pay tribute to his fallen military brothers.  In addition to his impressive accolades Paul still finds the time to put family first and volunteers regularly with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and at a local Personal Care Home.  Listen in to one of the best Motivational Speeches I've ever heard from one of the most fearless and courageous men I know.   We talk about the different aspects of MMA and training with the sport Grappling, Krav Maga, Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai and more  Paul shares his Military Transition and what inspired him to join After losing fight it motivated him to make a switch The military taught him to hold himself to higher standard, be more disciplined, and make his bed every morning We talk about Personal Training Paul wanted to help more people and he felt that personal training was the way to go He trains in anything from losing weight and getting in shape to those looking to train in MMA Paul shares his insane Daily Routine He is always out the door by 6am and on his way to the gym smiling  Gratitude journal- He writes down 3 things he is thankful for every day  He reads daily every chance he gets- Currently reading: Gung Ho! Kenneth Blanchard and The Shortness Of Life- Seneca Paul shares his workout routine with his trainer and owner of Tier 1 Fitness Mitch Davis  Program –Full Body Strength Training  Tues- Legs Squats, Deadlifts, Low Body, Power Cleans, Snatches Wed- Core day Top Ab exercises- Hanging leg raises, decline crunch with ball toss. Thurs –Upper body bench press, pushups, incline bench pullups, lat pulldowns,shrugs, bent rows and resistance bands incorporated Mitch works with other MMA fighters, wrestlers, athletes and is able to work on specific areas.  Paul's Evening Routine 250 rep of core before bed, pushups, stretches Paul recommends yoga stretching and always using proper form whether stretching or strength training  Loves to read, believes in self-education Believes in writing to let go of emotions and negativity I ask Paul: What was holding him back from achieving his dreams? A: Fear – fear is what you make of it, fear of the unknown is what was holding him back from achieving his dreams? Lack of education and fear of passing the ASVAP, Negative relationships can hold us back -What allowed him to conquer fear? A: Just doing it! Pushing boundaries, take a small step out and every little thing he accomplished gave him self confidence to go out and achieve the next thing “You’re gonna fail and its gonna hurt but trying and failing is so much better than sitting back and saying I could have done that but never knowing “ "It’s ok to fail, It’s part of life and you can gain confidence from failing and learning" He says the problem comes when we don't accept fear and try to run away from it  Paul shares a failure he experienced and a lesson he learned from it – His pro fight knock out He let outside influences get into his head and interrupt his training, leading up to the fight he didn’t put his all into it. He allowed negativity to creep in “The fight me losing, yes that was the failure moment but it wasn’t just one night it was the weeks leading up to the fight” In life we don’t always stick to our goals and we go at it not 100% into it, we don’t grind and we fail. It’s tempting to think, “I should have just kept my hands up” but you should have kept your hands up in the training leading up to that fight The key lesson: Every day matters! Today matters just as much as that fight you are training for! You have to build it up, treat every moment like this is a moment I could fail or succeed "Every day you have to grind and work and treat it like it’s your last" The days that are the hardest are the days to go the hardest His Definition of Success Paul thinks success is doing what you are happy and passionate about. Feeling joyful and happy about what you’re doing "Success is how you feel when you get up in the morning and if you feel joy and happiness you are probably doing the right thing and therefore very successful" Who do you think of when think of success? Jevon Weixler Manager at Weixler Diversified Cleaning Services, Board Member Making a Difference of Lebanon Pa (A non-profit organization dedicated to positively impacting a city and its youth), Big Brother, Avid Volunteer Adrian Caan National Guard Drill Sergeant, Founder Warrior for Life and Xfitt Combatives and Fitness, MMA coach,   What makes them successful? Because they are determined to help others. They are successful because of the way they make others feel by positively influencing them What’s one book that had a massive impact that you would recommend? Leadership And Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute  What do you think it takes to push you over the edge towards a big goal or dream? Mindset- Always work towards a better world, Stay positive. Connect with Paul on Instagram and Twitter @Paulalmquist92 Shout Outs- Adrian Caan,  Jevon Weixler, Mitch Davis, Tier 1 Fitness  Let’s Get Better Together! P.s Stay tuned till the end for some fun bonus audio with Paul and I!