At 22, Simone Biles is already a legend. With 14 medals, including 10 gold, Simone is the most decorated World Championship American gymnast of all time. Now the Olympic gymnast—part of the gold-medal-winning USA gymnastics "Final Five"—breaks down her techniques for vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor. Discover how Simone performs under pressure, learn to practice like a champion, and claim your competitive edge.

Syllabus

Introduction

Meet your new instructor: four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. She’s ready to inspire your gymnastics training by demonstrating fundamental and advanced skills and by giving you tips for setting goals and working with coaches.

Learning New Skills

Discipline and focus during practice are necessary for gymnasts to safely execute drills. Simone encourages you to master the basics, which are the foundation for learning harder skills and routines.

Uneven Bars Basics

With eight-year-old Mia demonstrating, Simone walks you through the basics of the uneven bars. Some of the drills include glides, drop kips, tap swings, and floor handstands.

Uneven Bars Advanced

Simone demonstrates and explains advanced skills on the uneven bars, including cast to handstand, giants, and more.

Playback: Studying Simone's Meets On Bars

Simone reviews and deconstructs footage of some of her most notable performances on bars, including her top-scoring routine from the 2018 World Championships and her routine from the 2018 U.S. Classic.

Overcoming Fear

Even the most decorated World Championship American gymnast of all time can feel nervous. Simone offers tips for getting out of your head during moments of fear and shares what confidence means to her.

Floor Basics

With help from nine-year-old Leah, Simone breaks down the basics of floor, including skills like cartwheels, roundoffs, front handsprings, pike fronts, and back handspring back tucks.

Floor Advanced

Simone demonstrates advanced floor skills, including layouts, double doubles, a combination pass, and, of course, the Biles.

Competing On Meet Day

It’s important to give yourself time to prepare for a meet. Simone reveals her preparation routine, shares how to use selective listening during a performance, and tells you how to let go of mistakes while competing.

Balance Beam Basics

Requiring a combination of acrobatics and dance, the balance beam is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one. Nine-year-old Paislee demonstrates as Simone discusses skills like handstands, cartwheels, walkovers, and back handsprings.

Balance Beam Advanced

Simone demonstrates advanced skills on the balance beam, including a front handspring, front aerial, handspring layout, split leaps, and a double-double dismount.

Working With Coaches

According to Simone, communication and trust are the two most important pieces of the athlete/coach relationship. In this chapter, she explores how to work effectively and cohesively with your coaches.

Vault Basics

With eight-year-old Jurzie demonstrating, Simone walks you through the basics of vault, including feet to seat, high knees, deer runs, sprints, and front handspring flatback.

Vault Advanced

Simone loves the feeling of flying she gets when performing the vault. She demonstrates advanced vault skills, including a Yurchenko layout, a Yurchenko full, a Yurchenko 2.5, and a Cheng.

Playback: Studying Simone's Meets on Vaults

Simone reviews footage of her standout vault performances, including her execution of a Cheng at the 2016 P&G Championships. She also breaks down the Biles on vault.

Setting Goals

Goals are action plans for a gymnast. Simone explains the importance of journaling as well as the practice of setting daily intentions to get the most out of your training.

Maturing as a Gymnast

Simone closes with thoughts on what taking a break from her sport meant to her as both a maturing athlete and a young adult. She encourages gymnasts to lean on their family for support.