The power of self-belief is the most valuable asset that any person can have, athlete or otherwise. "Whether you tell yourself you can, or you can't, you're right." I saw my self-belief/lack thereof lead me right down the competitive drain at certain points in my wrestling career, and, conversely, I saw it shoot me to [...]
It takes a village. No one man is an island. You are the combination of the 5 people you spend the most time with...You get the point. When I started fighting, the mindset that ruled above all else in my life was simple: Surround yourself with the best. From the fighters, to the trainers, to [...]
25 years ago, I made a commitment to become a state champion and get straight A's throughout high school. I didn't accomplish either, but I gave everything in their pursuit. A few years later, when the last bell rang and I walked off the high school wrestling mat for the last time, I made another [...]
I'm a week into a new book called "Above the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season." Urban Meyer is a high-achieving college football coach who sheds a ginormous amount of leadership and life lessons in this book. I've been chronicling some of them through my AM Excellence Videos, but wanted to [...]
I ran the Army Ten Miler this past weekend in DC. I was invited as a guest to participate in the race by the US Undersecretary of the Army, Patrick Murphy. Patrick is a close friend of my brother; they met in law school and taught together at West Point. I went to the race [...]
You've heard me say a thousand times how much I believe in the habit of reading. Reading creates a sense of purpose and accomplishment. It's a continual source of learning, and an incredibly valuable way to start your day (or finish your night, or mid-day, whenever you have a minute). It's like training, except for [...]
I speak often of Dave, whom I've worked with since Jan. 1 and who has lost 75 lbs. the right way. He has been putting the Slight Edge into effect - small, consistent, daily actions repeated consistently over time that equal big results. He's playing the long game, not focusing on the little blips in the radar [...]
On January 1, I started working with Dave. Dave was a fan who became a friend. He had battled with weight his entire life and was looking for a lifestyle change. He had approached me several times about training together, but it wasn't until he was about to be a father that he kicked his [...]
Three years ago, on September 24, 2013, my wife gave birth to our daughter Gracie. We enjoyed watching Kelly and Michael every morning (I had just won a title fight and was able to lay low for a month or so) while tending to her newborn needs. On Sunday, my son was born, and today [...]
Public speaking. The dark. Asking someone on a date. Fighting a giant, scary man on TV in front of a million people. All of these carry the same amount of fear as the other - it's all relative. I have found in my experiences that facing fear head on is much easier than running from [...]