Simone Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast. Holding the record as the most decorated gymnast in history, she is regarded as one of the greatest in the sport.
Simone started gymnastics at a very young age, with people around her being very encouraging. By 2013, Biles made her senior international debut in the AT&T American cup, finishing second. She went on to win four medals in her debut year, as well as becoming the first African American to win the world all-around title at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
Having started her career so young, Simone has faced many challenges in her career. With a great team and dedication to her sport, she’s managed to solidify her status as the greatest gymnast ever. She looks after herself extremely well, with the potential to add many more medals to her collection.
In this article, we look at Simone Biles diet and workout plan, getting an overview on how the gymnast maintains her elite levels of fitness.
Simone Biles Profile
| Date of Birth | 14 March 1997 |
| Height | 1.42m / 4ft 8″ |
| Body Measurements (Chest/ Waist/ Hips) | 30/ 24/ 30 (inches) |
| Weight | 45kg / 99 lb |
Diet Plan
Simone Biles has a dedicated diet plan in order to improve her athletic performance. Being quite small, Simone’s calorie intake is lower than that of an average female gymnast. She usually tries to consume around 1800 calories per day, depending on her training intensity.
Simone tries to keep her meal timings relatively consistent, having frequent meals throughout the day. This helps her to maintain energy levels, supporting muscle growth and recovery. She likes to have around three small meals per day, including snacks in between.
Balanced Macronutrients: Simone Biles’ diet is built around a balance of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. This provides essential energy for her intense training sessions and routines, while supporting her muscles. Healthy fats are also important for overall health and contribute to sustained energy throughout the day.
Lean Proteins: To support her rigorous training and muscle repair, Simone includes lean protein sources in her diet. Her favourites include chicken, fish and tofu, occasionally also opting for legumes.
Complex Carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates from whole grains (e.g., oats, brown rice, quinoa), fruits, and vegetables are part of her diet to provide sustained energy.
Fruits and Vegetables: She likes to have a variety of fruits and vegetables as part of her daily meals to supply essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They also support overall health and help reduce inflammation.
Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is crucial for athletes, especially those involved in high-intensity sports like gymnastics. Simone drinks plenty of water throughout the day to help maintain optimal hydration levels.
Electrolyte replenishment: As a gymnast, Simone often loses electrolytes through sweat during intense workouts and competitions. Consuming foods rich in electrolytes like bananas (potassium), dates (potassium), coconut water (electrolyte-rich), and sea salt (sodium) after her training helps replace lost electrolytes and prevent dehydration.
Limit processed foods: Simone focuses on whole, nutrient-dense foods as much as possible, limiting processed foods that are high in added sugars. This helps ensure she’s fuelling her body with the necessary nutrients for peak performance.
Simone Biles has a pretty low body fat percentage, at around 13%. Even during off season, Simone typically maintains low body fat. She keeps her calorie intakes controlled, trying to consume sufficient calories to support training and aiding muscle recovery.
Her diet plan typically includes:
Breakfast
- Scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado
- Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
Snack
- Greek yogurt with berries and granola
Lunch
- Grilled chicken breast with quinoa, steamed broccoli, and a tablespoon of olive oil
- Brown rice
Snack
- Rice cakes with peanut butter and banana slices
Dinner
- Baked salmon with lemon and herbs
- Roasted sweet potatoes and sautéed green beans
Workout Plan
Simone Biles maintains a rigorous workout plan to build and maintain her exceptional strength as well as improving flexibility. Simone continuously works on skill progression, breaking down complex moves into smaller, manageable steps. This allows her to safely and effectively learn new skills.
Mental preparation is also a significant part of Simone Biles’ workout plan. Visualization, focus, and mental resilience exercises help her perform under pressure and stay calm during competition. She also makes sure to get enough rest during the week, to prevent injuries.
Gymnastics Training: The core of Simone Biles’ workout routine revolves around gymnastics-specific training. This includes practicing various elements of gymnastics, such as floor routines, balance beam routines, vault, and uneven bars. Her training also focuses on mastering difficult skills, perfecting routines, and improving form.
Strength Training: Simone incorporates strength training exercises into her routine to build and maintain muscle mass. Strong muscles are essential for executing powerful gymnastics moves. Her favourite exercises to do are usually squats, lunges, deadlifts, and bodyweight exercises like push-ups and pull-ups.
Flexibility and Mobility Work: Flexibility is a key component of gymnastics. Simone dedicates a significant amount of time to stretching and doing mobility exercises to maintain her flexibility. These exercises help her achieve the required range of motion for various gymnastic elements.
Plyometrics and Explosiveness: Plyometric exercises, like box jumps and explosive squats, help improve her explosive power and the ability to generate force quickly, essential for gymnastics vault and tumbling routines.
Balance and Coordination Drills: Balance and coordination are critical in gymnastics. Simone practices balance beam routines and coordination exercises to enhance her skills in this area.
Cardiovascular Fitness: Maintaining cardiovascular endurance is important for the physical demands of gymnastics. Simone includes cardiovascular exercises like running, sprinting, and interval training in her routine.
Core Strengthening: A strong core is essential for gymnasts to maintain stability during various routines. Simone does a lot of ab exercises to strengthen her core muscles. She usually adds crunches, Russian twists, and leg raises in her training.
Warm-up (15-20 minutes)
- Light cardio such as jogging, cycling, or jumping jacks
- Dynamic stretching, focusing on major muscle groups like hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, and back muscles
Gymnastics Skills Training (60-90 minutes)
- Balance beam: walkovers, back handsprings, front tucks, and layouts
- Floor exercise: tumbling passes, double pike, double tuck, and choreography
- Uneven bars: giant swings, release moves, transitions, and dismounts
- Vault: approach, table contact, and vaulting techniques
Strength Training (60-75 minutes)
- Lower body: squats, lunges, deadlifts, and leg press
- Upper body: push-ups, bench press, dumbbell press, and rows
- Core exercises: planks, side plank, Russian twists, and crunches
- Accessory exercises: bridges, Romanian deadlifts, and calf raises
Conditioning and Endurance Training (30-45 minutes)
- Running or cycling intervals
- Jumping jacks, burpees, or mountain climbers
- Agility drills, like cone drills or ladder dashes
Cool-down and Recovery (10-15 minutes)
Stretching and foam rolling to help reduce muscle soreness and promote recovery
Simone Biles diet and workout plan are an important factor in her success. Working closely with nutritionists and top coaches has allowed her to maintain incredible fitness levels, dealing appropriately with injury set-backs.
