Simone Biles' Workout Routine Explained
Simone Biles vaulted her way to her 10th Olympic medal on Saturday, cementing her GOAT status in gymnastics at the age of 27. Becoming the most decorated American gymnast in history involves some serious dedication. To prepare for the Tokyo Olympics, she told Jimmy Fallon that she trained seven hours a day, with four of those days working out twice a day. She takes Sunday off to help her body recover.
Biles makes it look easy as she flies and flips several feet in the air and lands on her hands or powerful legs. Gymnastics involves powerful muscles of the shoulders, legs, and core that you can't get through typical strength training. She incorporates cross-training exercises such as swimming a mile twice a week and cycling once a week for 10 miles. You might be able to run a mile, but try running a mile and then challenge your balance on the beam.
YouTube fitness influencers Hudson and Brandon White took on a similar workout to Biles, sharing that she'll spend 30 minutes a day developing her flexibility using resistance bands. She also spends a considerable amount of time at the gym, doing some pretty challenging moves you could try.
Biles includes rope climbs, pike push-ups, and V-ups
Maybe you had a rope climb in elementary school, but some CrossFit gyms and functional fitness gyms might also have rope climbs. This move often requires muscles in your arms, back, and legs to pull you up the rope. Biles does this using only her arms, with her legs outstretched in a pike position. That takes some serious core and arm strength.
One of the best arm workouts Biles does is pike push-ups, where your legs are raised parallel to the ground while you're standing on your hands. Your body will be at a 90-degree angle. You bend your elbows like you're doing a push-up, and the top of your head will tap the floor. That's one. Try 4 sets of 10 pike push-ups.
Now bring yourself onto the floor and grab a yoga block for some V-ups. Begin with your back on the floor, with your legs straight and your arms reaching overhead. Hold the yoga block between your hands. Using your core strength, draw your upper body and legs in the air so you can place the block between your feet. Come back down to the supine position, then raise your arms and legs again to pass the block back to your hands.
Biles doesn't forget nutrition, sleep, and mental health
Biles also includes other superhuman core exercises such as L-sits, V-sits, and straight leg raises while hanging from a bar, but she also recognizes the need for proper nutrition and recovery. Biles doesn't need to worry about counting calories, but she knows that she needs certain nutrients to fuel her workouts without feeling too full.
She told Women's Health that she sometimes has to skip breakfast to get to the gym on time, but she chooses oatmeal and fruit for breakfast when she can. Rather than going for coffee, she opts for water to keep her body hydrated. After her first workout, she makes sure she gets some protein through a protein shake. Lunch can range from pepperoni pizza to sushi, or she'll throw some lean protein and veggies into the air fryer. After her afternoon workout, she sometimes indulges in pizza or fettuccine Alfredo if she doesn't go to a restaurant.
Biles also places a priority on sleep, so she tries to keep a consistent sleep schedule by targeting her bedtime at 9:30 p.m. It's rare for her to stay up past 10:30 p.m. Biles also takes care of her mental health, particularly when she shared with the world her experience with the "twisties" during the Tokyo Olympics. To care for her mental health, she told CNN that she talks to her therapist every Thursday and before every competition.