Getting are compatible is never simple, and when the chances are stacked towards you, the duty can turn into overwhelming. However a loss of time, restricted apparatus, and an getting old body could not prevent Andrew W. Harris Jr. from pursuing his health targets.

With the nearest gymnasium 25 miles away, Harris needed to get ingenious along with his health regimen. Thru diligent analysis and trial and mistake, he is crafted a complete health plan that comes with six-week coaching cycles, a full-body stretching regimen, high-intensity aerobic methods, and intense core coaching—all whilst the use of only some dumbbells and his physique weight.

Harris, 53, has a shredded body rivaling the ones of fellows part his age. He has accomplished his objective of height bodily situation no longer as soon as, however two times, all whilst taking at the function of caregiver to his mom. We requested Harris to proportion his revel in of reworking his physique the second one time round. We additionally requested him to give an explanation for how his method to health has modified over time.

Snapshot: Andrew William Harris Jr.

Top: five’ 7″

Weight: 148 lbs.

Schooling:    

• B.S. (Group Well being Schooling) Virginia Tech
• M.A. (Pupil Staff Products and services) Virginia Tech
• M.S. (Group Company-Psychological Well being Counseling) Outdated Dominion College
• Ph.D. Program (Counseling & Human Products and services) Syracuse College (1999-2006)

Profession: Author (First e book coming by way of finish of June 2018) and Caretaker

Location: Waverly, Virginia

Social Media:

Let us know concerning the starting of your health adventure.

In March 2008, after leaving a Ph.D. program at Syracuse College, I felt like a failure. I started consuming and consuming as I happy. I allowed myself to get out of form to the purpose the place I didn’t really feel nicely as a rule.

I in spite of everything grew bored with feeling that method. I knew I had to get again into form. The closest gymnasium on the time used to be 25 miles away. It used to be too a long way and I had no cash to enroll in, anyway.

I surveyed the health apparatus I introduced house from Syracuse: 20- and 30-pound dumbbells, an workout ball, and push-up bars. I began researching tactics I may just use the apparatus I did have, in addition to body weight workouts, to get myself again into form.

When did you first uncover BodySpace?

I created my first six-week Exercise cycle in March 2008 and started to peer some development. I felt, on the other hand, that I had to to find extra permutations at the dumbbell and body weight workouts I used to be the use of in my exercise cycles, so I started doing extra analysis. This led me to Bodybuilding.com and BodySpace, the place I discovered what I used to be on the lookout for when it comes to articles, workout permutations, and exercise ideas.

I additionally browsed the profiles of BodySpace individuals and, after a couple of months, determined to position up a profile of my very own.

That used to be on October 15, 2008. I used to be 44 years previous. I had to conquer numerous concern and nervousness about posting non-public footage and content material, in addition to the truth that I didn’t figure out like most of the people at the web page.

By means of 2011, I used to be in the most efficient form of my lifestyles. Sadly, by way of the top of that very same 12 months, I suffered an overuse harm to my shoulder and needed to paintings thru rehabbing it for the remainder of the 12 months and into 2012.

This used to be after I started to include a day-to-day full-body stretching routine into my six-week exercise cycles. It contains all of the stretches I used to rehab my shoulder. I’m glad to mention I’ve been harm unfastened ever since.

By means of fall 2012, I used to be again to complete body weight and dumbbell exercises. I used to be commemorated by way of Bodybuilding.com with the Over 40 Transformation of the Week on November 28, 2012.

What demanding situations did you stumble upon alongside the way in which?

From October 2011 to July 2012, my prolonged circle of relatives misplaced 5 individuals. It used to be difficult, however come what may, I controlled to handle my health routine.

Then, initially of 2013, my stepfather’s well being started to fail because of diabetes and middle illness. I used to be put within the place of taking good care of him and supporting my mom thru this tough time.

My stepfather passed on to the great beyond in October 2014. I’ve been taking good care of my mom ever since.

From 2014 to 2017, I did not focal point by myself well being and health as I must have. I used to be too busy getting to my mother’s trade affairs, taking her to physician’s appointments, buying groceries, cooking, and cleansing. In consequence, I labored out unevenly and ate very poorly.

I regained a lot of the burden I had misplaced and, as soon as once more, started feeling poorly. I additionally misplaced contact with my BodySpace buddies, who were a relentless supply of encouragement and fortify.

When did making a decision to make a metamorphosis?

By means of December 2017, I determined I needed to get again in form. At 53, I used to be no longer positive of what development I may just make, however I determined to make use of the 2018 12-Week Transformation Problem as my motivation.

My objective stays to get again into the most efficient form of my lifestyles. I registered for the problem and started reconnecting with my previous BodySpace buddies. I additionally won rather a couple of new buddies over the process the problem.

After 12 weeks, I used to be close to my objective weight and happy with my development. I’ve persisted pushing ahead and am lately in the midst of my 52nd six-week exercise cycle.

How do you utilize BodySpace now?

I proceed to make use of BodySpace to stick motivated and, with a bit of luck, encourage others. I’ve been surfing Bodybuilding.com’s new subscription segment, All Get entry to, for brand new concepts. I am specifically within the “Overall-Frame Dumbbell Repair,” which provides new tactics for me to make use of my dumbbells for coaching.

I’ve additionally in spite of everything given in and downloaded the BodySpace app to my smartphone. I nonetheless like to get entry to BodySpace on my PC—53-year-old eyes do not like small monitors!—however I love the truth that I’m higher in a position to stay monitor of my buddies’ motivating posts, feedback, likes, and are compatible standing updates.

I additionally created a weblog that I put up to my FitBoard that permits me to trace my exercises and to turn my buddies and different curious other people what my day-to-day exercises seem like. Moreover, I put up all my six-week exercise cycles to my FitBoard.

What does your weekly exercise regimen seem like?

I take advantage of a six-week exercise cycle, adopted by way of a two-week, lighter and smaller cycle. I created my first six-week cycle in 2008 with elementary workouts, however with years of study and far trial and mistake, my present exercise cycles are extra complicated.

I proceed to make use of dumbbell and body weight workouts however have added and proceed so as to add new permutations to stay the exercises recent and difficult. I added some Tabata and timed exercises, as nicely.

The exercises I do now are shorter and extra intense. Being a caretaker, I will have to be environment friendly in my use of time. For my aerobic, I run 1-Three miles after every exercise, however have additionally added Tabata and period aerobic schemes.

Each and every exercise week runs from Sunday thru Friday. Each and every of my coaching days makes a speciality of a distinct physique phase, form of coaching, or each.

Once I resumed exercises this 12 months, I additionally determined that every week would have a distinct theme to drive me to make use of all of the apparatus I’ve to be had to me. This now features a pull-up bar that I inbuilt my yard.

After finishing my common six-week exercise cycle, I whole a two-week cycle consisting of a lot lighter exercises and energetic leisure days. Then, I would possibly take every week utterly off or start a brand new six-week exercise cycle.

Here is what every week would possibly seem like:

• Monday: Fingers and Shoulders
• Tuesday: Chest and Again
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Core
• Friday: Complete Frame
• Saturday: Relaxation
• Sunday: Planche Coaching

What sort of meal plan do you apply?

Mother and I devour very well-balanced, in most cases blank foods. We steadily prepare dinner in combination, and we do numerous meal prep. We get ready lean meats (hen, turkey, and pork) and a whole lot of recent or frozen greens forward of time.

Now we have additionally turn into massive soup eaters. On some events, we will be able to upload baked white or candy potatoes, rice (brown or white), or couscous to finish the meal.

I proceed to figure out and do aerobic in a fasted state, so I in most cases may have espresso within the mornings prior to my exercise. I get ready my mother’s breakfast and a noon snack. I do not destroy my rapid till after the exercise, normally with oatmeal, yogurt, or lean meat and veggies.

I additionally whole 1-2 intermittent fasts a week (a whole lot of black espresso and water for 24 hours). I’ve executed this for years and it is helping, particularly when I’ve indulged an excessive amount of in one thing no longer as excellent for me, similar to baked items or chocolate sweet.

Here is what an afternoon of foods would possibly seem like:

Do you apply a day-to-day complement regimen?

I divide my complement regimen into “morning” and “night time.” I take them Monday-Friday and take a destroy at the weekends.

Morning:

Night time:

• Males’s Over 50 Multivitamin
• Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc with D3 Tablet
• Noticed Palmetto Tablet
• B-Complicated Pill

As Wanted: