There’s a version of online fitness that seems to exist in a vacuum: perfect programs, dialed-in nutrition, unlimited time. And then there’s fitness for the rest of us, living in the real world.
For Will Simpson – former rugby player turned military officer and founder of performance nutrition brand Real Meal – training doesn’t happen on its own. It is wedged between the beginning, the demands of business and family life. But he says realizing that exercise may not be your top priority is the first step to making it work.
‘Lower the stake,’ he said. ‘Missing one practice isn’t the end of the world.’
From Rugby to the Army – and a Business on the Side
Simpson’s first plan was simple: rugby.
‘There was always something about, “one day we’ll call-up”… but I quickly realized I just wasn’t big enough, or fast enough… and maybe not good enough.’
What followed was a move to the military, working in intelligence. During what Simpson described as ‘one of the toughest elective courses in the military’ the idea for Real Meal – a 600-calorie meal replacement bar – began to take shape.
‘Your alarm goes off at 3:30… breakfast at four… in the vehicle at 4:30.’
The work was relentless, but the prescribed fueling strategy was basic and, to Simpson, inadequate.
‘There’s a big bin of food, you just fill your bag before you go. One snack from each bin. It’s basically seven chocolate bars or flapjacks.’
This high sugar diet works – in the short term.
‘I remember feeling great for the first hour or two … and then you’re really bonking.’
Some efforts stretched for hours; others run through the night.
‘It was a six-month process… and I thought, where is the element of recovery? Where is the fat? Where’s the balance?’
That question stuck with Simpson and prompted him to start an experiment.
“I said, yes – 600 calories. 60-20-20, carbs, protein, fat. Minimal ingredients.’
Simpson’s V1 prototype was less successful.
‘It’s oats, quinoa, dates, honey… I baked it. It was a dense, thick, inedible biscuit.’
But the idea was good, so he brought it to a performance nutritionist, shopped around and secured a large order before the product was available.
‘I said, “I have this bar”… I don’t have a bar,’ Simpson laughs.
Cue 30-plus iterations with food scientists until Real Meal, as it exists today, was born.
Train Like an Endurance Athlete – Around Everything Else
In addition to building the business, Simpson continued to push his own training, completing several Ironmans and 100-mile ultras.
‘I just tested it myself,’ he said. ‘Long bike rides, Ironmans… then I do 100-milers with just bars.’ He hit 100 miles in 21 hours. ‘I was like, I’m not taking another step.’
But what dads, business owners and busy men will see isn’t the only challenge Simpson takes on — it’s how he fits into it.
There is no illusion of a perfect structure. Exercise sits around everything else.
‘The stakes are actually pretty low,’ he says. ‘Realising that makes it easy to just get something done.’
It’s a line that comes up again and again: don’t chase the perfect session, don’t wait for the ideal situation, just find a way to keep moving. Unless he’s training for something specific, Simpson says his goals are built around getting back and committing to the process — not hitting a fixed target. Especially when learning new skills: ‘It’s not about saying “give a ride”… but “climb twice a week”.’
You are not a professional athlete… and that is to your advantage
Lowering the stakes in this way ensures consistency. High-pressure goals can work for a while, but when life gets in the way elsewhere (work, family, illness), you need something simple, sustainable and achievable – not a lofty goal that feels overwhelming. Think: ‘three hours of total training time every week’, instead of a rigid plan that is easily derailed.
For Simpson, the goal is not optimization. That’s sustainability.
Exercise should fit in with work, family and everything else. And nutrition follows the same rules.
‘I have dinner with my children,’ he says. ‘I don’t make things completely separate.’
Instead of complexity, he leans on simple constraints: protein first, whole foods where possible, and enough structure to stay on track without overthinking it.
‘If you hit your protein, get your fruit and vegetables… it’s very hard to get everything else wrong.’
Just Get Things Done
If there’s a philosophy that unites everything – from rugby to the military to endurance racing and business building – it’s this: lower the barriers and keep it repeatable.
Simpson believes that most people don’t fail for lack of effort. They fail because what they do doesn’t match their life. His approach flips that, and is refreshingly practical.
‘Just do something,’ he said.
Do that often enough, and everything else takes care of itself.
With nearly 18 years in the health and wellness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breathing coach and author, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether it’s through writing and testing thousands of exercises each year, taking a deep dive into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
While constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of practicality as much as theory and regularly puts his training to the test in everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to several 24-hour training exercises and (very unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold the sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.
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