Celebrity Trainer Paul Bamba Says "Boxing has Taught Me to Be a Better Person"

Paul Bamba is a highly sought-after trainer, combat fitness expert and founder of Trifecta Strong, a boxing and fitness training company that has trained a plethora of individuals from movie stars to everyday fitness enthusiasts.

Paul is a skilled strength and conditioning coach that has been training athletes and professional boxers in New York City for close to a decade and has devised a unique form of training that combines fitness, strength training, boxing, and military combat skills to achieve rapid and impressive results. He is also an expert in kinesiology and sports psychology making him a well-qualified fitness professional with the credentials to prove it.

Paul's journey hasn't always been filled with great stories and fun times. He experienced his share of hardships before making it to the place he is now. He continues to nurture his first love of boxing and utilizes the sport to open doors that would have otherwise been closed.

Paul, you have an extensive background, please tell us about it.

I grew up in foster homes and enlisted in the Marines when I was 17. After the Marines, I moved to New York City to build a life and career for myself. But finding success in the city, especially starting with nothing, can be a challenge. I was homeless twice during the first few years, but eventually found some footing in the world of fitness and boxing. I started as a fighter and a trainer at boxing gyms. A few years later, I founded Trifecta Strong LLC. I have been fighting in various ways my entire life.

Being homeless is just one part of your journey, what do you feel that chapter taught you?

I would say that being homeless taught me that the only person I can truly rely on is myself. I know that sounds a little pessimistic but what it really means is that I was the only person who could get myself out of my situation. No one else was going to “save” me or be there for me when I failed, and the consequences of failure were very real. That background taught me to take more risks as an entrepreneur.

How has boxing inspired you?

Boxing has taught me to be a better person. It has taught me that you can never be perfect at everything. Some stuff is always going to be a challenge, but adaptability is more important than perfection. If you run into a problem, you can’t just give up. It’s understanding that you have to keep pushing forward and at the same time be OK with not knowing everything. I’d say that’s a good lesson for everyone to learn.

At what point in your life did you discover your passion and purpose?

I still don’t know that I have fully discovered my passion and purpose yet. But as a kid, I always dreamt of becoming great at something. As a result, I learned that core values such as a strong work ethic, discipline, etc., were invaluable to achieving success. I never thought that boxing would be the thing that I’d become successful at, but it did give me purpose once I started realizing that I was helping others through boxing. Right now, I think my purpose is teaching new skills to others and helping them on their journey to health.

How do you define success?

I would say being successful means being respected in your given field. Having a high level of skill and doing something original. Being actually good at what you do garners respect from your equals. I think money is often a byproduct of success, but it’s certainly not how you gain genuine respect. What is some advice that you find yourself sharing?

As cliché as it sounds, I would say to never give up and to stay focused on the one thing you want to be good at. Because the more time you spend trying to be good at a few things, the less time you have to be great at one thing. There’s that saying, “a jack of all trades is master of none.” My boxing coach said that to me and that was what got me to stick to boxing. Whether it was fighting or training, I made sure to never stray away from boxing. If you want something, manifest it into existence.

What legacy are you creating?

I want to inspire others that no matter where you started, you can write your own ending. And I want people to know that through the work that I do—whether it’s raising money by running 72 miles in 72 hours, working with charities that I truly believe in (helping foster kids, the homeless, etc.), or teaching self-defense classes and empowering those who need it most. I think a lot of people are much more capable than they realize and sometimes they just need to see that light.

To learn more about Paul or connect for training visit him online.