Scottish DJ Calvin Harris has returned to the headlines once again for all the right reasons. Gone are the dating dramas of 2016, the 38 year-old master of the decks is back with fresh new music, and an a renewed outlook on health and fitness. Wish a fresh new album released just last week, Harris is seemingly back on the grind, appearing happy and healthy. The DJ has received plenty of attention of recent years, thanks to his transformation from daggy man-child to a stylish source of fitness inspiration.
This time around, in an effort to shamelessly promote his latest album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol 2, Harris shared a rig shot to Instagram. The album is is worthy of a download – the beats are as tight as Calvin’s abs. It’s been a while between thirst traps for the DJ slash crooner, yet he has every right to be proud of his health journey.
“When you are a spotty awkward teenager, you don’t want people to look at you. It’s a self-conscious thing. Everyone looks at you because you are extra gangly,” said Harris, real name Adam Wiles, according to the Daily Sun. “It’s only in the last five years that I have come to terms with the fact that I am a big tall b******.”
So what does Harris put his transformation down to? There are 4 main aspects that helped him shred up and pack on size; location, nutrition, recovery… and an ab roller.
Since moving to LA, Harris has reportedly been able to focus on healthy eating, and staying fit, thanks to a healthier variety of food options and the odd cheeky pilates workout. “The food is fantastic over here [in LA]. You can eat healthily, there’s a lot more healthy options than in the UK — that’s a fact,” he said.
Recovery has also played a role in his well-being, including the occasional ice bath. Cold water therapy or immersion (eg. Ice baths) activate the body’s natural healing and can relieve the aftereffects of high intensity exercise. If practiced on a regular basis, cold water immersion can even provide long-lasting changes to your body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory and digestive systems that enhance overall quality of life.
Any activity that causes your muscles to exert beyond their accustomed limits leads to microscopic tears in the muscle fibres and inflammation in the muscle tissue. Cold water therapy has been found to help counteract these side effects as it lowers the temperature of damaged tissues and constricts the blood vessels. This in turn helps to reduce any swelling and inflammation. This is why you often see NRL and AFL players visiting their local beaches or swimming pools following a game in the middle of winter.
When it comes to Harris’ nutrition, according to Now magazine, some of that food included his daily go-to breakfast of an egg-white omelette with smoked salmon and spinach. Look, I could definitely imagine worse breakfasts! Harris is also the owner of a veggie patch, where he grows his own watermelons. Showing off his fresh produce on Instagram during lockdown, it seems that some of his muscle mass can definitely be put down to fruit gains. One item Harris admits avoiding while on tour is alcohol, a tough ask in his industry.
When it comes to Harris’ nutrition, according to Now magazine, some of that food included his daily go-to breakfast of an egg-white omelette with smoked salmon and spinach. Look, I could definitely imagine worse breakfasts! Harris is also the owner of a veggie patch, where he grows his own watermelons. Showing off his fresh produce on Instagram during lockdown, it seems that some of his muscle mass can definitely be put down to fruit gains. One item Harris admits avoiding while on tour is alcohol, a tough ask in his industry.
And as for the abs, well Harris credits the aforementioned humble ab roller, a tool he’s used to get in shape for his famous Armani underwear shoots.
“Staying in a gym routine while on the road is tricky,” admitted the DJ in a since deleted Instagram caption, “but as long as you don’t drink, eat well, sleep enough and take one of those mad little ab rollers with u (sic) everywhere you’ll be good.”
Tonehouse Trainer James McMillan told Men’s Health US that the ab rollout is one of the best, if not the King, of abdominal workouts, and gives some advice if you don’t have a roller handy.
“You can use an ab roller or even paper plates if you’re at home and don’t have one,” McMillan says. “Roll your way out flat until you build your core strength up to be able to do the full ab rollout,” says McMillan.