There’s an online version of fitness that seems to exist in a vacuum: the perfect program, 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 in isolation. It is a connection between startups, business demands and family life. But he says realizing that training may not be your priority is the first step to getting started.
He says, ‘Put the position down. Missing a workout isn’t the end of the world.
From rugby to army – and business on the side
Simpson’s first plan was simple: rugby.
It was always, “One day we’ll be called”… but I quickly realized I wasn’t big enough, or fast enough… and maybe not good enough.’
What followed was a move in the military, working in reconnaissance. It was during what Simpson describes as “the toughest elective course in the military” that the idea of Real Food—a 600-calorie meal replacement bar—began to take shape.
‘Your alarm goes off at 3:30…breakfast at four…in the car at 4:30.’
The work was tireless, but the proposed oil strategy was basic and inadequate to Simpson.
‘There will be huge piles of food, you’ll fill your pockets before you leave. One snack from each bag. It was basically seven chocolate bars or flapjacks.
This high sugar ration works – in the short term.
“I remember feeling good for the first hour or two … and then you just shut down completely.”
Some efforts stretched for hours; Others escaped during the night.
‘It’s a six-month process… and I thought, where’s the recovery element? where is the fat Where is the balance?
This question stuck with Simpson and prompted him to start experimenting.
I said, OK – 600 calories. 60-20-20, carbohydrates, protein, fat. Minimal ingredients.’
Simpson’s V1 prototype was less than successful.
It was oats, quinoa, dates, honey…I baked them. It was a big, fat, inedible biscuit.’
But the idea was right, so he took it to a performance nutritionist, sold it around and secured a large order before the product was available.
‘I said, “I’ve got this load”… I don’t have a load,’ laughed Simpson.
With food scientists 30-plus iterations until the original food, as it exists now, was born.
Train like an endurance athlete – all around
In addition to building the business, Simpson has continued his training, completing multiple irons and 100-mile ultras.
‘I just tested it on myself,’ he says. ‘Long bike rides, iron mane… then I rode 100 miles using just the bars.’ He hit 100 miles in 21 hours. ‘I was like, I’m not taking another step.
But what will become apparent to dads, business owners and busy men isn’t just the challenges Simpson takes on — it’s how he fits into it all.
There is no illusion of complete structure. Training is all about sitting around.
‘The stakes are actually quite low,’ he says. ‘Understanding that makes it easier to just do something.’
It’s a line that comes up again and again: not chasing perfect meetings, not waiting for ideal conditions, just finding a way to move. Regardless of what he’s training for, Simpson says his goals are built around a return to the process and commitment—not to the set goals. Especially when learning new skills: ‘It’s not about saying “get good at climbing”… it’s “climbing twice a week”.
You’re not a professional athlete…and that’s to your advantage
Downgrading jobs in this way ensures continuity. High-pressure goals may work for a while, but when life gets in the way elsewhere (work, family, illness), you need something simple, sustainable, and actionable—not lofty goals that feel overwhelming. Think: ‘3 hours total training time per week’, rather than a rigid plan that can easily be thrown off.
For Simpson, the goal is not reform. This is sustainability.
Training should fit in with work, family and everything else. And nutrition follows the same rule.
He says, ‘I eat dinner with my children. ‘I don’t completely isolate something.
Instead of complexity, he relies on simple limitations: protein first, all the food possible, and enough structure to stay on track without having to think about it.
‘If you break down your protein, get your fruit and veg… it’s very hard to go wrong with anything else.’
Just do something
If there’s a philosophy that ties it all together—from rugby to military to endurance racing and building a business—it’s this: lower the barrier and keep it repeatable.
Simpson believes that most people fail for lack of effort. They fall short because what they are trying to do doesn’t match their lives. His approach flips it, and is refreshingly practical.
‘Just do something,’ he says.
Do this enough, and everything else takes care of itself.
With nearly 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath 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, relevant and authoritative fitness information, whether it’s by writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, diving deep 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 loves the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test by tackling everything from crossfit and strength competitions to ultramarathons, several 24 hour sprints 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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