They\u2019re the key takes from a fascinating interview the U.S. slugger gave to training outfit EVOQ Bike<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a long conversation that gives unflinching, deep-dive details of WorldTour performance. It proves rare insight into what it takes to survive monument breakaways with Tadej Poga\u010dar<\/a>, attack for more than 500km of the Tour de France<\/a>, and win stages<\/a> at two of the WorldTour\u2019s biggest races.<\/p>\n And while Simmons\u2019 performance program is far beyond that of us weany-watt wannabes, there are lessons to be learned from his approach.<\/p>\n Here are three useful takeaways from the insane training regimen of Lidl-Trek\u2019s-own \u201cCaptain America.\u201d<\/p>\n 1: No shortcuts: \u2018The biggest factor is doing the work\u2019 The overarching theme of \u201cThe Simmons Method?\u201d That the 24-year-old approaches training with a sledgehammer.<\/p>\n The Durango-native told EVOQ he makes up for a lack of Pogi-esque genetics with a bullish commitment to \u201cdoing the work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest thing [for success] is you just have to train,\u201d Simmons said. \u201cIt\u2019s 28 to 30 hours on the bike per week, and you have to do it week-in, week-out.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no, \u2018oh, I have this goal race a month from now, it\u2019s time to do a big block.\u2019 The \u2018big block\u2019 starts in November, and you have to repeat it week after week,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Simmons believes some wannabe pros don\u2019t dare accept the painful reality of endurance training.<\/p>\n \u201c[People don\u2019t do it because] it\u2019s hard,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople don\u2019t like doing hard things.\u201d<\/p>\n And yes, WorldTour training is very hard.<\/p>\n Simmons sketched out devastating training sessions set by his trainer Steven de Jongh focused on durability, torque, and race-simulation. As is the current trend, his long endurance rides are at a high zone 2 that requires constant, \u201chard but comfortable\u201d pressure through the pedals.<\/p>\n What works for one doesn\u2019t work for all But not all riders are the same.<\/p>\n Simmons largely trains solo and favors a grueling, volume-heavy program that\u2019s probably unlike that of any of his Lidl-Trek teammates. It\u2019s a reminder that while elite training is tracked and measured by a science-lab of wearables<\/a>, head units, and performance monitors, its refined by a trial and error of learning what works.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m one of these guys that recovers quite well, so I can train quite hard day-in, day-out,\u201d Simmons told EVOQ, suggesting what makes him unique.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have a crazy peak sprint or a crazy hour-power, and my watts per kilo is nothing special. But as long as I feel right and I take care of the recovery, I can go day-in, day-out.\u201d<\/p>\n But even after six years as a pro, Simmons still doesn\u2019t always get it right.<\/p>\n \u201cA few times, I\u2019ve gone over the limit with finding how deep I can push,\u201d he said, before qualifying that a planned overreach can be a good thing \u2013 provided you allow time to recover.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes you do have to go over that limit,\u201d Simmons said. \u201c[At the end of a training block] I\u2019ll do something like three rides that are all six to seven hours and really finish myself. But then I\u2019ll not be afraid to take four coffee rides in the days after [to recover].\u201d<\/p>\n The Simmons Method is brutal \u2026 but realistic. There\u2019s recognition of when to back off.<\/p>\n Commit like a pro?<\/p>\n Sadly, you\u2019re not going to crush your Cat. A Zwift race or claim all yours local Strava KoMs without a little effort.<\/p>\n And as Simmons suggests, endurance training isn\u2019t all sunshine and rainbows.<\/p>\n If you want the results<\/a> \u2013 whether that\u2019s in the WorldTour, in a grassroots crit, or to satisfy your private fitness goals \u2013 you\u2019ve got to do hard work.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t commit like a pro?<\/p>\n Obviously, if you\u2019re an amateur, don\u2019t go training for 28 to 30 hours a week.<\/p>\n Simmons\u2019 huge work capacity makes him an outlier, even among the physiological freaks of the WorldTour. And more to the point, you\u2019ll fall out with your boss, your spouse, and your legs if you try to mimic his mega-mileage.<\/p>\n Further to that, be careful scheduling a \u201cfunctional\u201d overreach unless you work with a trainer. Overreaching and overtraining are separated by only a matter of hours.<\/p>\n 2: Calories are controlled, but cake is often neccessary Simmons blends a paradoxical mix of extreme discipline and reasoned freedom to his diet. It\u2019s meticulous calorie control served with a slab of cake for afters.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t eat anything without it going on the scale first,\u201d Simmons said, probably only half-joking.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old told EVOQ that, like most pros, he\u2019s developed a dangerous relationship with what\u2019s his plate.<\/p>\n \u201cI started with a nutritionist two years ago. We talk about the negative relationship with food, and for sure, all of us are definitely a little loopy with the food,\u201d Simmons told EVOQ.<\/p>\n \u201cBut then again, it\u2019s our job, so you can\u2019t really complain too much.\u201d<\/p>\n Simmons, who admitted he has to be wary not to overeat, is shadowed by the obsession with food<\/a> that stalks pro cyclists.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not going to be the most healthy thing ever to be weighing your apple, but we have a weight we have to make, and we have a certain amount of carbs we have to hit to perform,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cNot much that we do in training is super healthy long term,\u201d Simmons continued. \u201cBut it\u2019s 10-15 years of your life. You kind of just have to suck up that it sucks and go for high performance.\u201d<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the most intriguing takeaway \u2013 Simmons isn\u2019t suffering endless bowls of quinoa, kale, and chicken fillet.<\/p>\n There\u2019s another \u201cc\u201d sound in Simmons\u2019 7,000-calorie diet.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I have 700 calories left at the end of the day, I\u2019ll go buy a cake or something,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n More now than ever, pro cycling is a power sport that fuels as hard as it races.<\/p>\n The macronutrient goals kicked out by custom apps prioritize adequate fueling for performance<\/a> and recovery before strength-sapping weight-loss.<\/p>\n Simmons tracks his food to ensure he\u2019s eating enough, but not too much.<\/p>\n On-bike fueling Simmons explained to EVOQ that calorie-bombs aren\u2019t only for late-night emergencies.<\/p>\n They extend to the bike.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t purely just eat carbs [e.g. gels and chews \u2013 ed.] on a ride. I do the normal gas station food. For me, I think that feels better,\u201d Simmons said.<\/p>\n Simmons fuels his training at the 120g carbohydrates per hour<\/a> he targets in racing, and joked that \u201cfasted recovery rides got thrown out really quick.\u201d<\/p>\n Not everyone can stomach the \u201cgold standard\u201d 120g carbohydrate rate. And just like sugar tolerance is unique to every rider, so are the snacks of choice. While old-school bananas and rice cakes are becoming extinct<\/a> from the racing peloton, don\u2019t be fooled into thinking pros only fuel on gels and carb drinks.<\/p>\n Simmons loads up with bucket-size bowls of cornflakes before training rides, and \u201cCaptain America\u201d eats like a kid on the bike, too.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a race, 90 percent of the time, you do the right thing and take the gels, but a lot of times you see me go back to the car and I\u2019ll have a candy bar in there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the nationals I had my dad on the side of the road with a few candy bars for the last couple hours,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n You can be sure that very few riders are hammering Hershey\u2019s and scoffing Snickers deep into a one-day classic \u2013 they\u2019re less energy efficient than sports nutrition, and logistically awkward.<\/p>\n But they\u2019re certaintly not holding back Simmons, who just enjoyed his best pro season.<\/p>\n Fuel like a pro?<\/p>\n Calorie control is an awful but inescapably effective part of pro performance.<\/p>\n If you choose to track calories to try to improve your watts per kilo, be like Quinn.<\/p>\n Use the numbers to ensure discipline either side of your fueling goals. Simmons uses calorie targets to ensure he doesn\u2019t eat too much, but he also uses them to be certain he has enough.<\/p>\n And lastly, eat what works for you.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t like gels? Candies and cookies aren\u2019t optimal, but they\u2019re a much tasier solution than bonking and burnout.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t fuel like a pro?<\/p>\n No matter how controlled you choose to be, don\u2019t weigh you apples. Take it from a recovering anorexic \u2013 it\u2019s not worth it.<\/p>\n 3: Do the basics and ignore the noise Simmons goes big on the basics and doesn\u2019t buy into any B.S.<\/p>\n Because let\u2019s face it, the world of endurance is becoming complicated.<\/p>\n New dietary hacks, training fads, and \u201cmagic bullet\u201d solutions appear on social feeds with every passing doomscroll. Even at the scientifically-approved WorldTour level, there are ketones<\/a>, broccoli shots<\/a>, blood flow restriction bands<\/a>, complex plyometrics programs, and so much more.<\/p>\n Simmons told EVOQ he\u2019s tuned out all-but the essentials.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, I stopped doing anything extra or weird, and I just went back to training hard and eating a lot. I don\u2019t take ketones anymore, and I don\u2019t do any of that [extra] stuff,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI had one kick where I did six months without eating sugar off the bike,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut I don\u2019t really know why I did that \u2026 it was not a super great way to live.\u201d<\/p>\n But also no strength Like so many others in the post-pandemic peloton, Simmons doesn\u2019t do any fasted training<\/a>. He also revealed he rejected a team trend for early-morning running, and that he bypasses the gym.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to do a lot of strength work, but this year, I completely stopped doing any lifting and just do core,\u201d Simmons told EVOQ.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent so much time doing deadlifts and squats, but I never really felt anything on the bike. It felt that it was taking away a bit from the training on the bike. It\u2019s also just one more mental stress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Strength training remains a divisive topic in the pro peloton.<\/p>\n The benefits for bone health and injury prevention means lifting heavy is encouraged more than ever before. But on the flipside, trainers won\u2019t force a weights program unless its 100 percent necessary.<\/p>\n Imbalances, weaknesses, and post-injury rehab are the main enforcing factors.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why Simmons is spared the suffering of \u201cleg day\u201d but can\u2019t avoid doing his crunches.<\/p>\n \u201cI do a lot of core stability because I\u2019ve had lower back problems before,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Go basic?<\/p>\n Simmons\u2019 super-basic approach is a rarity. Most riders in the pro peloton will guzzle ketones, lift barbells, and dabble with the latest \u201cmarginal gain.\u201d<\/p>\n But there\u2019s a lot to learn from Simmons\u2019 no-nonsense regime. He does what really matters by training hard, eating big, and you can bet he sleeps like a baby, too.<\/p>\n Be like Simmons and focus on the 99.9 percenters. Don\u2019t \u201cmajor in the minors,\u201d because no biohacking shill can fix a shoddy diet or half-assed workout.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t go basic?<\/p>\n Cross training and heavy lifting can be beneficial for all cyclists. Yes, they require the sacrifice of saddle time and the despair of quad DOMs. But the benefits to bone health<\/a>, power output, and hormonal longevity far outweigh those things.<\/p>\n In Simmons\u2019 defense \u2013 he has been known to cross country ski in the winter. Like running and hiking, skiing is highly rated by trainers looking to safeguard riders from osteoperosis.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s note: <\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-1513596957.jpg\"\/)
Simmons believes the most important part of training is showing up, day-in, day-out. (Photo: David Ramos\/Getty Images)
\nAccept that training can suck<\/p>\n
\n![\"Poga\u010dar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2239951844.jpg\"\/)
Simmons\u2019 all-in ethic made him strong enough to hang with Poga\u010dar, but has put him into a hole. (Photo: MARCO BERTORELLO\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2235429599.jpg\"\/)
Simmons admitted he has an unhealthy relationship with food \u2013 as do most pros. (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski\/Getty Images)
\nOff-bike diet<\/p>\n
\n![\"Quinn](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2240431569.jpg\"\/)
Simmons eats to prioritize performance and recovery, which means calories come in all forms available. (Photo: Sara Cavallini\/Getty Images )<\/p>\n
\n![\"3](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2220586899.jpg\"\/)
Simmons won big with a 19km solo attack at Tour de Suisse. (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)
\nNo fads<\/p>\n
\n![\"Simmons\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2224769639.jpg\"\/)
Simmons\u2019 unique approach to performance is a reminder that there\u2019s no \u2018one size fits all.\u2019 (Photo: Tim de Waele\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n