Train like the woman who redefined what a human body can do — 7 Olympic medals, 30+ World Championship medals, and four signature skills bearing her name.
Born March 14, 1997 in Columbus, Ohio, Simone Arianne Biles became the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history. She trains at World Champions Centre in Spring, Texas — the gym founded by her parents — where she puts in 32+ hours a week across six days.
Simone Biles changed elite sports forever when she withdrew from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics team final to protect her mental health. Her courage sparked a global conversation about athlete well-being and redefined what true strength looks like. Mental fitness is not separate from physical performance — for Biles, it IS the performance.
"It's not about the competition. It's about being the best you can be and protecting your mind as much as your body."
— Simone Biles on her approach to mental health in elite sportBiles works regularly with a sports psychologist and practices structured mindfulness before every training session. Her mental performance pillars include visualization, pre-routine breath work, and journaling. She also prioritizes sleep above almost everything — targeting 8–9 hours nightly, which she credits as her top recovery tool.
Despite standing under 5 feet tall, Biles generates explosive power that rivals any athlete in the world. Her training builds a dense, functional strength base — focusing on relative strength (force produced per pound of bodyweight), not bulk. She combines gymnastics-specific conditioning with targeted weight room work, conditioning her body to absorb the impact of landing skills that carry 14× her bodyweight in force.
Gymnastic ring work builds scapular stability and upper-body pulling strength essential for bar and beam routines. 4–5 sets of 8–12 reps.
The cornerstone of gymnastics conditioning. Simone performs progressive hollow holds to build a rigid, unbreakable core position through aerial skills.
Explosive leg power drives vault height and tumbling amplitude. Box jumps, broad jumps, and depth drops are rotated weekly for peak power output.
Hamstring and posterior chain strength for safe landings. Biles keeps weight moderate to protect joints and maintain flexibility.
Straight-arm pressing drills develop shoulder stability and proprioception — critical for Biles' signature beam series and uneven bars transitions.
Suitcase carries, Pallof press variations, and farmer walks build total-body stability and reinforce midline control in all four apparatus events.
Gymnastics demands a range of motion that takes years to develop and daily work to maintain. Simone's flexibility routine is not passive stretching — it's active mobility work that teaches the nervous system to control end ranges under load. She trains each area of the body systematically throughout the day.
Cat-cow flows, spinal rotations, and hip 90/90 switches to awaken the posterior chain and activate the hips before the first training session of the day.
Front-to-back and lateral leg swings, active PNF split progressions, and loaded hip flexor stretches prepare joints for explosive tumbling loads.
Sleeper stretches, wall shoulder CARs, and wrist flexor/extensor flows protect against the repetitive overhead loading of bars and vault.
Full front and straddle splits held 60–90 seconds per side. Pigeon variations and butterfly stretches complete the daily mobility session as muscles cool down.
Gentle restorative poses — child's pose, supine twist, legs-up-the-wall — downregulate the nervous system and support overnight tissue recovery.
Simone's four named skills — the Biles (floor & vault), Biles II (floor), Biles III (beam), and the Yurchenko Double Pike (vault) — represent some of the most technically complex maneuvers in the sport. Mastering them takes years of progressive load and meticulous drill work.
The vault that changed gymnastics history. Biles runs at ~23 mph, hits the board with precise timing, and executes two full piked backflips in a flight that reaches nearly 10 feet high. Training this skill begins with crash mat progressions, pit drills, and hundreds of partial-difficulty repetitions before a full competitive attempt is made.
Her floor routine includes a triple-twisting double backflip — The Biles II — that no other woman in the world has competed. Tumbling practice is broken into run, punch, and aerial phases, each drilled separately before full passes are connected. Impact absorption is trained specifically to protect ankles and spine at landing.
The balance beam is 4 inches wide and 4 feet off the ground. Biles trains beam skills on a floor beam first, then a low beam, before transferring to competition height. Her Biles III (double-twisting double dismount) requires spatial awareness so refined that mental visualization precedes every physical rep.
Though bars is Biles' lowest-scoring event, she still trains it with the same intensity. Release moves, pirouette connections, and clear hip circles are drilled daily. Grip strength and shoulder endurance are trained separately with hang work, towel pull-ups, and finger extension exercises.
Simone has spoken openly about rejecting the toxic diet culture that plagues gymnastics. She eats to perform — fueling a body that trains 6 days a week with high-quality carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats, while never starving herself for aesthetics. Her approach is performance-first, health-second, and weight-loss never.
Eggs (3–4), whole grain toast, fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, and orange juice. High-carb, high-protein to fuel the first morning session.
Banana with almond butter, protein shake, or a handful of trail mix. Quick-digesting carbs to sustain energy through the second training block.
Grilled chicken or salmon, brown rice or sweet potato, large salad with avocado, olive oil dressing. Post-training protein and anti-inflammatory fats.
Rice cakes with peanut butter and honey, or a small bowl of oatmeal with berries. 30–45 mins pre-session for accessible glycogen.
Lean protein (turkey, fish, or lean beef), roasted vegetables, pasta or quinoa. Larger meal to refuel and begin overnight muscle repair.
Cottage cheese, slow-digesting protein shake, or warm milk before bed. Slow-release protein sustains muscle protein synthesis through the night.
Hydration note: Simone targets 3–4 liters of water daily, and includes electrolyte drinks during longer training blocks. She works with a registered sports dietitian to adjust macros around competition cycles.
You don't need to be 4'8" or have four skills named after you. You need consistency, courage, and the right system. Start training like the greatest gymnast alive.
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