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MIKE SIMONE

20 years of fitness experience in 1 post

Updated: Jun 27


I’ve spent the last 20 years training.

Lifting weights. Running races. Testing meal plans. Pushing limits. Pulling back.


Along the way, I’ve made mistakes. Built strength. Burned out. Rebuilt again.

I’ve produced hundreds, if not thousands of pieces of content, worked with professional athletes and celebrities. I’ve interviewed dozens experts. Tried nearly every method out there. And I’ve logged countless of hours in gyms, pools, oceans, trails, and in my own head.


This series is a collection of thoughts—lessons, observations, reflections—that I’ve shared over time. Individually, each post is a quick take. But together, they tell a much bigger story about how fitness evolves over a lifetime, and how the way we train shapes the way we live.


Some of these ideas might shift the way you think. Others will confirm what you’ve already felt to be true.


This isn’t a beginner’s guide or a one-size-fits-all plan. It’s just what I’ve learned—so far.



I know for a fact that we’re all capable of way more than we think. This experience will always remind me of that. When I got to this pool, my mind told me there was no way I was carrying two dumbbells across the bottom to the other side. But after two days of intense focus, repetition, and great coaching, I got further and further. With full commitment and focus, great things are possible. You can change your body. You can change how you feel. You can finish a marathon. You can carry dumbbells across the bottom of a pool. You can literally do whatever you put your mind to.


For me, it all started with bodybuilding. Then a little CrossFit. Then a little yoga. Then extreme endurance training. Now, I prefer to mix and mash everything. My current recipe for fitness is: a couple days of strength training, a day of high-intensity interval training, a day of long and slow cardio, and as much low-impact yoga and stretching as I want. I’ve found this blend to be perfect for strength, body composition, and endurance. There’ll be more skill training soon.



Carbs fuel workouts and rebuild muscle. And yeah, they can also make you gain weight and feel like crap — but they need to stop being demonized. The key is eating the right amount and the right types for you. I put on a lot of muscle and strength eating more carbs, and then got very lean by slowly cutting them back. I’ve also burned out, overtrained, and gotten weaker from going too low — especially when I started doing more endurance work. For well-rounded fitness, it’s about finding the sweet spot. You know you’ve hit it when your energy is solid, you feel strong, and your bodyweight is holding steady.



It’s the boring stuff that gets results. There are so many things that distract us when it comes to fitness and health, but the truth is simple: work out regularly, eat well, sleep well, and stay consistent. Sleep, in particular, is a game changer. And if you think you can’t sleep well — yes, you can. I used to get just 5 hours a night until the last few years. Don’t eat two hours before bed. Take a hot shower about 20 minutes before. Drop the temp to 66 or 67. Black out your room. And get off your phone. It’s so boring — but it makes a massive difference.



This is a little reframing I do for myself. I have a tendency to fixate and ruminate on losses or negatives. One thing I try to do — either on a notepad or in my phone — is write down Wins & Learnings for the day, not Wins & Losses. Sure, they’re still Ls in some way, but looking at them as opportunities to learn and move forward makes me feel a lot more optimistic.



There are two ways I’ve optimized the way I program over the last decade. The first is volume — the total amount of exercise or training in a session or week. I’ve gotten much better at recognizing when more training might actually become too much. The second is intensity. I’ve always been the type that wants to go 110% every day. I’ve never had much of an internal governor. That catches up to you. Maybe not right away, but it will. Over the years, though, I’ve gotten more confident that I’ve dialed in the right mix and dosage of strength, high intensity, endurance, and recovery.



I’ve had two major surgeries and made comebacks. They were hard, but I got through it. And so can anyone else. One of the things I constantly see and hear from friends and acquaintances during or after injuries is that they’re “getting old” and “can’t do what they used to.” That’s the wrong mindset — and not for the reason you might think. I see it like this: First, you can come back. Maybe not 100%, but you can come back. Not wanting to come back and not being able to come back are two different things. If you don’t fight to come back, you’re training your brain to quit — and that mindset will show up in other parts of your life. You’ve got to fight to come back.



There are 3 big mistakes I made so you don’t have to:

  1. Being too competitive. Competition is good — it pushes us to be better. But when it comes to exercise and training for life, there is no “winning.” Just getting a little better each day.

  2. Taking on too much, too soon. I learned this when I transitioned from strength to endurance. My knees were not happy when I started logging insane miles out of nowhere. Don’t rush your process.

  3. Exceeding my limit too often. I’m a big believer in going HARD. I think most of us don’t go hard enough — but there is a limit. The key is balancing HARD with RESTORATIVE.



You can rewire your brain to not want junk food. When I started working out and learning more about nutrition, I began swapping out low-quality foods for high-quality ones — and the more I did that, the less I craved the junk. Interestingly, if I slipped back into eating low-quality stuff, I started wanting it more again, even if it didn’t make me feel great afterward. It’s a cycle. But I really believe that if you stick with high-quality meals, eventually that’s all your body and mind will crave — because you’re feeling better and performing better.



I was surprised to learn that a lot of people I know weren’t aware caffeine has a half-life — meaning it stays in your system for several hours after you drink it, usually around 4 to 6 hours. I slept poorly all through my 20s, and a lot of that was because of caffeine later in the day. Since making a habit of cutting off caffeine around 12PM, I’ve noticed significant improvements in my sleep. As a result, my recovery from training and mental focus during the day have improved too. I also toss and turn way less trying to fall asleep at night.



I'm not afraid to admit that I experience quite a bit of anxiety from time to time. I get jittery, fidgety, worried—and when it’s a stronger bout, my heart rate spikes and I start to sweat. Over the past few years, I’ve experimented with different types of breathwork to help with both anxiety and my overall mood. For high-stress moments, I like 4-7-8 breathing for about 5 to 10 minutes. That’s a 4-second inhale, 7-second hold, and 8-second exhale. From what I’ve read, the research is limited, but there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence that it helps. Personally, I’ve found it really effective. I usually turn to 4-7-8 when I need it most.



There are so many great programs out there that get great results. What actually makes it work, is if it's right for you. That means: it's helping you reach a specific goal and, you enjoy it to some extent. If you want to be a better runner, you need to follow running coaches. If you want be a triathlete, you need to listen to triathlon coaches. Find the types of coaches, guides, and trainers that lead the lifestyle you'd most likely like to lead as well. And lower your expectations in terms of how long it takes to reach specific goals. Not to discourage, but it's usually a lot longer than what's promised out there.



Training is one of the greatest investments we can all make. It yields so much—and the only real cost is your time. Even that doesn’t need to be as much as most people think. Two to three sessions of strength training, one session of high-intensity interval work, and one session of long, slow cardio per week—plus small daily contributions of stretching and walking—can deliver huge returns. I’ll always invest that time.



You’ve probably seen the World’s Greatest Stretch a lot. It’s in tons of programs. It’s photographed a lot. And for good reason—it checks a lot of boxes for the human body. It works just about every major muscle and joint, making it a smart move before working out, playing a sport, or just loosening up after sitting for long periods. I do this stretch every single day—usually a few reps on each side for a couple sets. The first few reps are tight, but by the time you’re done, you’ll feel significantly looser.



This is a controversial topic, but it shouldn’t be. It’s just tricky to explain. Calories in vs. calories out influence our weight. Our body composition—what you see in the mirror, whether it’s muscle or fat—is influenced by a combination of calories and macronutrients. Finding the formula that’s specific to you is where it gets challenging, because there are so many variables at play. We all have different starting points. We’re different heights and weights. We have different goals. And our activities require different things. Simple case in point: endurance athletes eat significantly differently than strength athletes. A nutritionist or dietitian is an excellent investment if you want to get specific and granular on your needs.



I thought I was doomed to be a terrible sleeper until I made a few changes that improved my sleep by at least 30%. I do my best to stay off my phone an hour before bed. I don’t eat for at least an hour or two before bed. I take a shower, stretch a little, black out all the light in my room, and turn the temperature down to 66 or 67 degrees. If I stick to these things, I’ll most likely get a solid 8 hours.



Virtually, we’re all too connected. We’re hammered with too many messages. Did you know research shows it can take nearly 24 minutes to regain focus after a distraction at work? I once tried an experiment where I turned my phone off completely for 48 hours. It was an interesting experience. It felt good to be more in the moment. I wish I could do it more often—and for longer stretches.



I think 30-day programs or challenges are excellent kickstarters—but maybe it’s time to start thinking even bigger picture. Your fitness is no different than your career or financial goals. You need a long-term plan. I like to look at the year and map out a roadmap from there. Right now, I’m prioritizing building strength and mass again. I’ll continue that for a few more months, then I might shift toward endurance, and eventually aim to find that middle ground. I also like to have a few events or personal feats spread throughout the year to give my training more purpose.



We all need a why—but what more is there to that why? I’ve challenged my own reasons. It’s not just about the goal—whether it’s losing weight, building strength, or completing a feat—it’s about understanding what really drives us. Is it a quest for confidence? A commitment to health? Or is it a mission for external validation? (That one never stands the test of time, by the way.) When I pushed my why further, I got inspired. Have you questioned yours? I wanted to get strong to protect myself. I wanted to push my body to prove I could do anything I put my mind to. And I want to stay strong so I can do the things I love for as long as humanly possible.



High-intensity group workouts give you a high, but there’s a hidden risk: burnout. I love those types of workouts—but doing too much is a common mistake. And I’ve done it myself. Going full throttle 5+ days a week is a recipe for disaster. If you’re feeling weaker or struggling to bounce back, it’s time to reassess your training balance. There’s a sweet spot between pushing hard and recovering. I say it all the time: 2–3 days of strength, a day or two of HIIT, a long and slow cardio day, and lots of stretching.



You don’t need to follow whatever diet is trending right now. It’s all hype—and probably not sustainable. All you really need to do is eat whole foods and avoid processed stuff. Have a general idea of how much food you need to maintain a weight you’re comfortable with and feel good at. I like 3 main meals and 2 snacks. Each one includes a solid protein source, some carbohydrates, and a little fat. I do like to prioritize protein.



10,000 steps per day is actually a pretty solid benchmark for the average person. The idea started back in the 60s, but really took off with the launch of Fitbit in 2007. Some experts like to poo-poo it, but here’s my take: 10K steps is about 5 miles. That would take 90 minutes to 2 hours if you did it all at once—but most people get there in chunks throughout the day. That’s a solid dose of low-intensity, low-impact movement. Is that all anyone should be doing? No. Strength training and high-intensity work are important too. But if someone’s consistently hitting 10K steps a day, that’s a strong foundation.



I’ve always found the idea of a 5-year plan overwhelming. One way to make it feel a little less daunting—and to help create some clarity—is to zoom in on just a sliver of it. For example: What does the fourth quarter of 2028 look like? Where will I be? Who will I be with? What will I be doing? I’ve found that framing it this way helps me think more clearly about where I’m heading.



You can do a lot with just your bodyweight, but I think strength training—with weights—is a missing piece for a lot of people. A lack of strength can be a root cause of pain, so it only makes sense that building strength can help relieve it. Case in point: I shared a post about how I couldn’t do a pistol squat on my left side due to instability and occasional pain. There was zero structural issue in my knee—just weaknesses. After introducing some new strength movements over time, I can pistol squat again. Strength training was my physical therapy. Strength training was my pain management.



The word stress gets thrown around so much that I think we’ve become desensitized to it. It can wreak more havoc on us than we realize, but we often chalk it up as just part of life. I started experiencing physical ailments that didn’t make sense given my lifestyle. After my doctors ruled out anything serious, the only explanation I could come up with was that I’d been under too much stress for too long. I refocused on managing it—through breathwork, reading, and free writing—and noticed those issues started to subside and happen less often. Do I think stress is the cause of everything? Or that 10 minutes of breathwork will solve all your problems? Absolutely not. But becoming more aware of your stress and actively trying to manage it is worth the effort.



Exercise is the most powerful mood booster and anger management tool on earth.

I started around age 15 and haven’t stopped since. I wasn’t always as consistent as I am now, but after some deep reflection, I’ve realized what’s always drawn me into the gym: anger, anxiety, and depression.


If I was angry about how I’d been treated, I’d lift.

If I was anxious about the future, I’d lift.

If I felt beat up, defeated, or hopeless, I’d lift.


The first 10 minutes, I feel nothing. But 60 minutes later, I feel like a superhero.


Thanks for making it this far.


This was a long one. But if you're still here, I hope something in this collection hit home for you — a mindset shift, a simple strategy, or even just the feeling that you're not alone in figuring it all out. Because none of this is about perfection. It's about momentum, consistency, and choosing to care about yourself a little more today than you did yesterday.


If you want more of this kind of content — or to work with me 1:1 — feel free to reach out if something resonated and you.


This is what I’ve spent the last 20 years learning, testing, and living through. I’ll be doing it for the next 20, too.


—Mike


 
 
 

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