Simone Biles has captured the world's attention with her unparalleled skills and dedication. As a gold medalist prepping for her second Olympics, Simone Biles pretty much lives at the gym, so she has to keep her body fueled. Biles' success is built upon a foundation of rigorous training, a balanced diet, and a strong mental game. This article delves into the details of Simone Biles' workout routine and diet plan, offering insights into how she maintains peak physical condition and mental focus.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Simone Biles' interest in gymnastics was sparked at a young age. It all started the day a young Biles went on a field trip to a gymnastics center with her daycare program. Inspired by the other gymnasts, Biles tried to copy their movements, and the center took notice. It sent a letter home with Biles, advocating that she enroll in tumbling or gymnastics (Mead, 2021). And, as we all know, the rest is history! That gymnastics center assessed Biles’ talent well, as she is now the proud recipient of an astonishing 25 World Championship medals, the highest number earned by any gymnast, male or female alike (Keh, 2021). Born in 1997, Biles and her sister Adria were taken in and brought up by their grandparents, Ron and Nellie, as their mother struggled with substance abuse (Mead, 2021). Ultimately, Biles’ grandparents adopted her and her sister. Biles is particularly grateful for her grandma Nellie’s unwavering support over the years. In 2007, as a pre-teen, Biles launched her competitive career, entering competitions as a level 8 gymnast. A few years later, in 2011, she soared to new heights, notching 3rd Place in the all-around at the American Classic, and 1st Place in the vault and balance beam events (Mead, 2021). Classic (Mead, 2021). The year 2014 was comprised of still more incredible victories for Biles, and she commonly carried out her trademark move-a double flip with a half-twist-when performing floor routines. As the author of this post, I will always remember Biles’ incredible display of athleticism at Rio 2016, as well as the remarkable performances of Raisman, Douglas, Hernandez, and Kocian (together christened “The Final Five”). These ladies were a dynamic team with prowess and great heart, and I have fond memories of staying up late to watch them compete in the individual and team events. After an intense handful of years that culminated in her Rio victories, Biles took a well-deserved break for the majority of 2017. Gymnastics Championships in August 2018 by an incredible 6.55 points. This was her fifth national all-around title victory, and she went on to achieve her sixth the year after (Mead, 2021). Chances are, you never knew this gymnastics move existed until Biles successfully performed it! We didn’t, either! May 22, 2021 went down as a day to remember when Biles accomplished the remarkable feat of landing this intimidating move (usually executed by male gymnasts) while competing at the GK US Classic in Indianapolis, Indiana (Mead, 2021). So, what exactly IS a Yurchenko Double Pike? In short, it’s a move we’re not going to be trying anytime soon.
Simone Biles' Daily Workout Routine
Simone Biles' daily workout routine includes several hours of gymnastics practice focusing on skill refinement and conditioning. On training days, Biles is at the gym for about as long as an average American is at their work desk, according to a 2016 interview with Women’s Health. To prepare for the Olympics, Biles has kept up a training regime in which she has been in the gym 6 days per week, putting in the work to make Paris one for the books. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, she has diligently carried out two practices each day (for a total of seven hours of training on these days!), whereas on Thursdays and Saturdays, she has put in half-days (Vulpo & Rosenbloom, 2021; Wilson, 2021). Sundays are her days of rest.
Gymnastics Practice
Biles repeats routines multiple times to ensure consistency and mastery.
Cross-Training
Simone Biles incorporates cross-training sessions, which include a mix of swimming, running, and biking, into her rigorous training regimen to prepare for competitions. Last year we did cross-training. We swam twice a week-almost a mile! I swore I was going to drown, it was so hard, and then we would run. And the year before that we would bike 10 miles outside once a week. If we didn’t bike, we would run a mile before practice, and as soon as we finished the mile we’d have to go inside and do a beam routine. My legs were absolute jello. But it got easier because the cross-training helped. During the summer months, Biles takes advantage of having access to a pool for her cross-training sessions.
Read also: Fueling Simone Biles
Strength Training
Gymnastics requires exceptional upper body, core, and leg strength to perform gravity-defying flips, twists, and holds. I like doing legs because those exercises come pretty easily to me. I have good, powerful legs, so I can do conditioning and they won’t be too sore. But stomach conditioning, I don’t like it at all! It’s my least favorite. Biles incorporates a variety of strength training exercises to build and maintain muscle strength and endurance.
Flexibility and Mobility
Gymnasts like Simone Biles must achieve extraordinary levels of flexibility and mobility to execute their routines with grace and precision. We have a routine that includes running and then a stretch for every part of our body. So we’ll stretch before practice, but especially afterwards, because then you’re tense and you need to stretch those muscles down. My favorite stretch is splits because not a lot of people can do them.
Explosive Power
Explosive power is essential for executing aerial techniques with precision.
Supplementary Routines
Aside from Simone Biles workout routine, there’s also several supplementary routines that are integral to maintaining her physical fitness.
Recovery
Given the physical demands of her training, Biles prioritizes recovery to ensure optimal performance and minimize the risk of injuries. Yes, rest and recovery are essential parts of Simone Biles’ training regimen. Biles notes that she is sure to reserve time for herself in her day to protect her sanity and boost her well-being. She asserts, “The most important thing for me is taking time to myself, because I can get talked out with a lot of people, and I kind of like my own space.
Read also: Comprehensive Weight Loss Tips
Nutrition
Biles maintains a disciplined approach to nutrition, emphasizing a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. For the average person, hitting their major macronutrient requirements is a daily goal. For Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, it’s a non-negotiable. You certainly don’t land a triple double on the floor or a double-double on the beam without having the energy necessary to power those moves.
Mental Health
Gymnastics is as much a mental sport as it is physical, requiring focus, confidence, and resilience. Biles has also incorporated mental health therapy into her training routine. In multiple interviews before and during the 2024 Olympics, she’s credited therapy with helping make her strong. “After all these years of putting in the mental work in, it’s paid off.
Simone Biles' Diet Plan
As a gold medalist who’s prepping for her second Olympics, Simone Biles pretty much lives at the gym, so she has to keep her body fueled. To do so, she eats a diet rich in protein, fiber, and lots of fruits and vegetables. However, she says it’s important that she does not restrict herself or count calories. “I do not track anything,” she recently told Women’s Health. “I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I’m always at the gym.” The 23-year-old gymnastics champion has seen restrictive eating take control of some peers, which is why she does her best to be mindful of it. “For gymnasts in particular, [tracking] can lead to health problems and eating issues, so I just eat what I know I can and should,” she explained.
General Dietary Philosophy
Instead of following a precise diet, she strives to be in tune with her body“I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself, because I’m always at the gym,” she said in a 2020 interview with Women’s Health.
Daily Meals
Here’s a glimpse at day-to-day diet.
Read also: How B. Simone Lost Weight
Breakfast
She doesn’t always eat breakfast. But when she does, it’s typically something quick and easy like oatmeal or fruit. “I wake up so early before practice, which is at seven, so sometimes I’ll grab a quick bite and sometimes I won’t,” she told Women’s Health. Luckily for her, she doesn’t mind getting up that early. “I’ve always been somewhat of a morning person,” she explained. She doesn’t even reach for coffee to get the day started (which deserves a gold medal on its own). Instead, she keeps water close by throughout the morning. You know what Biles has on an average day of eating before she starts her hours-long practices? Nope, not oatmeal. Not a nutrition bar. It’s waffles. “What I eat depends on the day and how I’m feeling, but sometimes I like to get up and have a protein waffle in the morning for breakfast with some fruit,” she says. She makes breakfast, which is usually Kellogg’s Red Berries or egg whites, and then I go to the gym that’s only 10 minutes away.
On the weekends, though, are a whole different story. “On the weekends, I’ll have some protein waffles with chocolate chips, some eggs, or even make cinnamon rolls,” she said. “Because I might not have to be at the gym, I can actually take the time to make breakfast.” She often starts her training days with oatmeal or fruit, but on the weekend, when she has more time, she’ll make some eggs or sweet treats, Women’s Health reported. “On the weekends, I’ll have some protein waffles with chocolate chips, some eggs, or even make cinnamon rolls,” Biles told Women’s Health in 2020.
Lunch
Lunch is all about protein and fiber. After all, she has to supplement for all the morning calories burned. If she’s making lunch at home, she’ll go for pasta, chicken, or salmon and veggies. She told Women’s Health she loves asparagus, broccoli, carrots, corn, green beans, and peas, but her all-time favorite is potatoes. “I love potatoes in any shape or form,” she said. For lunch, it’s usually chicken and some vegetables,” she says.
Often, because she’s so busy, she’ll order takeout before heading back to the gym. “I feel like it’s more manageable because I can get home, shower, and go on the app to order whatever I want with the click of a button,” she said. and then I drive home and eat lunch, which is either chicken or fish so I get the protein.
Dinner
At dinner, nothing is off the table. “If I’m feeling like a little bit of a less healthy meal, I get pizza or fettuccine Alfredo with chicken,” she says. “I really like home restaurants that are in the area because I feel like I get to be closer with them. I’m not picky. I’ll try any new restaurant.” I really like home restaurants that are in the area because I feel like I get to be closer with them.
Biles is married to another top athlete, Jonathan Owens, who plays football with the Chicago Bears. Both of them focus on their physical nutrition when they eat. “Jonathan cooks either, like, salmon, chicken,” Biles said about dinner, according to E! News. “We eat a lot of chicken, either with broccoli, and like potatoes or mac and cheese, but always veggies with it and we kind of wind down for the night.” I like to eat fish with vegetables and rice,” she says.
Snacks
When hunger pains inevitably strike, it’s protein shake time. “I love having a Core Power Protein Shake after a workout,” she says. “Usually I drink half after the first practice and half after the second practice. One of my favorite flavors at the moment is vanilla. It always changes, but it’s currently vanilla.”
She has a variety of favorite snacks. She doesn’t go for them often, simply because she’s too busy to remember. But when she does feel like an extra bite, Biles will typically have fruit; grapes, strawberries, and bananas are the go-tos. And because she doesn’t restrict herself, she likes the occasional banana bread muffin, popcorn, or pretzels dipped in Nutella, too. “It all depends on how I feel,” she said. She told Well+Good that she also loves plantain chips because they’re tasty and easy to keep on hand. If I get hungry between meals, my go-to healthy snack is plantain chips,” Bile says.
Indulgences
But pizza is her all-time favorite food. Her Instagram bio calls her a “pizza connoisseur,” and in 2016, she told ABC News that no matter how a competition goes, she always treats herself to a slice afterward. “It doesn’t even matter if I don’t win a self-gold, after every meet I have pizza,” she said. “Pepperoni pizza.” It doesn’t even matter if I don’t win a self-gold, after every meet I have pizza.
She rarely has a sweet tooth and enjoys cocktails on weekends. “I have to be in a dessert mood and that usually happens more often when I’m out of town,” Biles told Women’s Health. “I find myself looking at local places on Uber Eats for cookies or ice cream or both.” If dessert cravings come up at home, she’ll either have strawberries with whipped cream or bake what she calls s’mores cookies. “I put a graham cracker at the bottom, marshmallows and chocolate on the top, and then I wrap it in cookie dough and bake it,” she explained. She’ll also have the occasional boozy beverage on the weekends, often electing for a glass of wine or margarita.
Food She Dislikes
There’s one food she doesn’t like. Biles really isn’t a picky eater, she’ll have just about anything-unless it contains coconut. “For some reason, I don’t particularly like that taste,” she told Women’s Health. “But anything else, I’m pretty good.”
Mental Fortitude
Biles stays motivated by setting short-term and long-term goals, visualizing success, and maintaining a positive mindset.
G.O.A.T. Leotards
As Biles has been christened with the title “the greatest of all time,” or “the G.O.A.T.” for short, by a great deal of people, she thought it would be fun to respond to those who talk down on her by wearing leotards with goat heads on them (and they are the prettiest goats we have ever seen, being composed of silver rhinestones)! Simone acknowledges that it’s a “running joke” that’s all in good fun (Etienne, 2021). She explains, “[The haters] were joking like, ‘I swear, if she put a goat on her leo, blah, blah, blah.’ That would make them so angry. And then I was like, ‘Oh, that’s actually a good idea. Biles goes on to clarify, “I don’t think of myself as the G.O.A.T. and that’s not why I wear the goat on my leo” (Etienne, 2021). “I just hope that kids growing up watching this don’t or aren’t ashamed of being good at whatever they do.
Olympic Camaraderie
Simone Biles is eagerly anticipating her third Olympics, cherishing the camaraderie of the Olympic Village. “The camaraderie in the Olympic Village is like something I’ve never seen in 2016. I just was so shocked at how everybody from all around the world was gunning at the same thing, everybody had the same goal in mind…We’re all in one spot trying to get a gold medal and everybody’s so dedicated, motivated, just on top of their game.