I recently got an email about Metabolic Masterpiece, Scott Tousignant’s new fitness program. Scott actually took daily pictures of himself for 12 weeks and his transformation was incredible. He didn’t just lose a lot of body fat but he also developed the kind of muscle growth you see on magazine covers.
I emailed Scott because I wanted to interview him about his transformation process. I’m glad to him here with us today.
Start interview:
Q: Hey Scott, thanks for taking the time for doing this interview. How are you doing these days?
A: I’m on top of the world and have never felt better!
Q: How long have you been involved in the fitness industry? What is your experience?
A: I’ve been in the fitness industry since 1999 after graduating from the University of Windsor with a degree in Kinesiology along with some additional Personal Training Certifications.
After a short time working for other gyms, I fulfilled my dream since the age of 14 and opened up my own health club in 2001. In 2006 I wrote my first fat loss ebook and have gone on to create multiple fitness books and programs along with my wife Angie who is also a Certified Personal Trainer.
Q: Your before and after pictures of the process you documented in Metabolic Masterpiece created quite a buzz. I read rather admiring posts about it from industry heavyweights such as Mike Geary and Tom Venuto. Were you surprised to see the reaction the new program got?
A: No, I wasn’t surprised. I knew that the program kicked some serious butt and I had the results to prove it. Tom Venuto and Shawn Phillips have been my role models for a long time. Their influence certainly shines through in my work. Between the three of us we’ve had many great conversations about the old school classic physique training and how it’s the best for carving your body into a work of art, so I was very certain of what their reaction would be to the Metabolic Masterpiece program.
Q: What made you start the 12 week process that you document in Metabolic Masterpiece?
A: I was sick and tired of being average. I was tired of looking at magazine covers and wishing that I had a body like those guys. I was tired of just dreaming about being absolutely ripped. I was sick of procrastinating. I knew that I deserved better and I simply made a conscious decision in that moment refusing to settle for anything less than the best from myself from here on out. My new focus and mindset was on continuous growth.
Q: When you first started this process, did you believe that you would get so ripped? Did you have any idea of the kind of results you’d achieve?
A: My goal was to sculpt a body that looked similar to Brad Pitt in the movie Troy. Everyone talks about how Brad looked in Fight Club, but I think he looked even better in Troy. He had more muscle.
By having a visual goal that I was aiming for along with a deadline… damn right I knew that I would get this ripped. There was no doubt in my mind. This was new territory for me. I have never been this ripped before, but I felt like my mind was in the right place and I was finally ready to take it to this level.
Body Sculpting
Q: While most fitness plans talk about muscle building, toning, or fat burning, you talk about “Body Sculpting”. How does Body Sculpting differ from the more common goals of fitness and diet plans?
A: Body sculpting is more of a mindset shift than anything. You are still focused on burning fat and gaining muscle, but with body sculpting you view your training as an art form rather than getting caught up in how many calories you may be burning throughout the workout.
I’ll never forget the first time that I watched Pumping Iron many years ago and heard Arnold Schwarzenegger describe building muscle as a sculptor slabbing clay onto a statue. That really resonated with me.
Recently my friend Shawn Phillips, said, “Training is less science than ART. Be the artist.” Now that REALLY resonated with me. The science of training is important, but if you focus too much on the “conflicting” research it can overwhelm you and take the fun out of training.
Body sculpting is a fascination with your physique and your potential to continue to improve upon it. It’s about creating a “Look” rather than just becoming a skinnier version of your current self. It’s about sculpting the most symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing physique possible. It’s very personal to each individual. It’s got nothing to do with current fads and trends.
With body sculpting you can basically throw away the scale and the calipers, because numbers don’t really matter. What does matter is what you see staring back at you in the mirror or in your progress pictures.
Mental Preparation
Q: Did you do any mental preparation? What is the mindset that a person needs to have to achieve the sort of results that you have?
A: When it came to mental preparation I took the slow and steady progressive approach to my transformation. I am absolutely certain that I could have achieved faster results if I buckled down on my nutrition right from the start. I had done this in the past and achieved rapid results, but I always ended up gaining the weight back. It feels like I’ve been trying to get my physique to this level for over a decade. Every time that I got close I would end up sabotaging myself. I didn’t want that to happen this time. I wanted to get ripped, keep it, and continue to progress for the long term. That’s the mindset that I adopted… “Continuous Growth”.
One of the best things that I could have done for myself was booking the photo shoot around the deadline of my transformation goal. This created an event around my goal and provided me with the urgency that I needed to continue progressing. I told everyone about the photo shoot. I mentioned it to my friends and family, posted it on Facebook, shared it in forums, and informed my blog readers and newsletter subscribers about it. This created incredible accountability, especially among the fans who read my blog and my friends in the support community. I was constantly being asked about the photo shoot and hearing from people who were eager to see my pictures. There was no way that I was going to allow them to see sub-par results. I needed to look my best.
I dedicated myself to planning and tracking. My workouts were planned, my meals were planned, my walks were planned, and my rest was planned. I tracked my progress with daily pictures. It’s difficult to visually see the progress from day to day, so I would compare my pictures every 7 days. The reason why I took pictures of myself every morning when I hopped out of bed, was to shift my focus toward my goals immediately upon starting my day and setting the tone for the day. With health and transformation at the top of my mind first thing in the morning, it was like taking a positive step in the right direction every day.
With a progressive approach to transformation, I found that my mindset continually shifted along the way. I became more and more fascinated with the journey. I craved more. I began thinking about things beyond this current transformation. I began to think about how much better I would look and feel when I reach my 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and how my quality of life would allow me to experience the most out of my later years.
The mindset that I believe a person needs to have to achieve the sort of results that I continue to achieve, is believing that you deserve better. Refusing to settle for anything less than the best from yourself. A mindset of continuously striving to reach your true potential in life. A mindset that this is so much more than a 12 week or 24 week transformation… it’s an ongoing journey… it never ends and that’s the beauty of it. Embrace it!
Note: Click here to see some of Scott Tousignant’s before and after pictures.
Q: You mention the term Focus in your program. How does one attain the kind of Focus before and during workouts that allows them to achieve the kind of results you did?
A: I’ll just use an excerpt from the Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting book to answer this question…
Harnessing The Power Of Focus Pre-Workout
Focused intensity begins before you ever step foot in the gym or walk into your home gym. It begins by reviewing your plan of action for today’s workout. What exercises will you be performing? How many sets and reps will you perform for each exercise? What is the goal that you are planning to achieve from today’s workout and how will you progress from the previous time that you performed this workout?
This is why it’s so important to follow a professionally designed workout program. It’s your blueprint for success. Consider any of the programs that Angie and I have produced, as your action plan for success. It’s not about how many calories you burn in this workout. It’s about putting forth your very best effort, which requires your complete focus and attention. It’s about taking this plan and progressing from week to week. Our workout programs are like a treasure map for you. Continue putting one foot in front of the other in the direction that we guide you and you can expect incredible rewards in the end.
After reviewing today’s workout and setting your goals for this training session, it’s time to flip the switch and mentally pump yourself up. For me, that means plugging in my headphones, cranking my pre-workout play list, and begin visualizing myself ROCK’n the workout and achieving the goals that I have set for today’s training session.
As I walk through the gym doors, the only thing on my mind is dominating the workout. My workout playlist is still cranked and I continue to listen to it while I’m getting changed in the locker room. I don’t allow anything to distract me from the task at hand.
I go through a great warm up and feel the blood rushing to my muscles and warming my body. I get comfortable with the way my body is moving, I calm my mind and prepare my muscles for the load that is about to be unleashed on them.
It’s time for some serious focused-intensity! A time where every bit of focus and energy goes into each and every rep.
It’s important to note that intensity isn’t gut wrenching bursts of ‘military like’ abuse on your body where you are rapidly performing movements until you puke. You can experience great intensity from performing slower controlled movements too. It’s all about making the most out of the moment.
Harnessing The Power Of Focus During Your Workout
OK, now the workout is about to begin. I start every training session with the same song by Eminem – Till I Collapse. The opening lyrics fire me up every time…
“Sometimes you just feel tired. You feel weak. And when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up. But you’ve gotta search within you. You’ve gotta find that inner strength and pull that shit outta you… and get that motivation to not give up and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face.”
This song is especially good on leg days 
With each rep I do my best to ‘get inside’ the muscle being worked and feel every muscle fiber firing. With each breath I feel my muscles tense, contract, then relax. I feel the rush of blood pumping through my veins. I feel every ridge of the bar that I’m either lifting, pushing, or pulling. For the moment, the bar and I are ONE! We are connected. I’m absolutely oblivious to everything around me. In this moment the only thing that matters is making every rep count because this rep could be the difference maker between me having a mediocre physique and an outstanding physique.
There are moments when the mind-body connection, becomes so incredibly strong that the experience is euphoric. I’m guessing that it would be similar to a runners high. A moment where I feel like I could lift anything non-stop. A feeling of peace and harmony. It’s kind of weird to see the words peace and harmony associated with weight training, but this is exactly what can happen when you embrace the moment.
When I finish the set I soak up every ounce of the moment. I feel a sense of victory. Then I prepare to dominate the next set.
Harnessing The Power Of Focus Between Sets
The time between sets is a golden opportunity. It’s one of the most important parts of your workout. It’s a time to once again clear you mind and focus on your goal for the next set. Even if your rest period is only 30 seconds, you need to make the most out of this time. Keep your eye on the target. Keep your blinders on. You’ve made the effort to step foot into the gym, now it’s up to you to make the most out of this time. Focus on your breath, your heartbeat, the blood rushing through your veins. This next set will bring you one step closer to achieving your body transformation goal.
Metabolic Masterpiece Workouts
Q: There are three phases in your program, each 4 weeks long: Metabolic Maverick, Pyramid Pandemonium, and ROCK That Body! Briefly, what is the goal of each of these phases?
A: The goal of each phase is always to burn fat and gain muscle, while sculpting your body into a chiseled work of art, by paying attention to the finer details of training.
Phase #1 – Metabolic Maverick: This is an upper body/lower body split routine, which is performed 4 days per week. Two of the workouts are focused on strength to make you feel EMPOWERED, while the other two workouts are focused on hypertrophy and gaining lean muscle so you look like a sculpted work of art! This powerful combination also skyrockets your metabolism and chisels away the fat, revealing your ripped physique.
Phase #2 – Pyramid Pandemonium: This phase harnesses the power of my version of pyramid training and is a 4 day body part split routine. Each workout has a strength and hypertrophy component that will absolutely blast your muscles like they’ve never experienced before.
Phase #3 – ROCK That Body: This phase was designed to hit every muscle fiber in your body, increasing your strength, muscle, and your fat loss potential. This is also a 4 day body part split that applies some of my favorite workout protocol all wrapped up into one killer program.
Each phase of the Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting Program incorporates the powerful A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Formula, producing eye popping results that will attract that attention of the opposite sex.
One of the greatest benefits of incorporating a new phase every 4-weeks is that your interest and enthusiasm will be constantly peaked. There is no room for boredom. The result is a constant flow of motivation to drive forward while giving your very best effort. That’s the Boredom-Busting factor!
I have found that sticking to a program for 4-weeks and progressing from week to week is ideal. It allows enough time to see measurable results, yet it’s not too long where the program becomes boring and stale. Many of the Metabolic Masterpiece customers (physique artists), have mentioned that this is a program that they can finally stick with for the long term because the variety from month to month is so great. They never get bored. They always have something to look forward to.
Q: How many strength workouts do I need to do each week to follow Metabolic Masterpiece and what kind of cardio is involved?
A: Metabolic Masterpiece involves 4 weight training sessions per week (ideally performed in a gym, but there are some customers who have made some modifications in order to follow the program in their home gym).
In terms of cardio, all I did was walk for 30-40 minutes 5-7 days per week. There was a 4 week period where I did some HIIT on my bike, but the rest of the time it was just walking. The reason why I prefer to walk is because it’s great for active recovery, stress relief, and I really enjoy it. I believe that walking creates an environment within my body that is ideal for burning fat and gaining muscle. If I do too much cardio or HIIT I have found that it places too much stress on my body and mind. Stress is a one way ticket to lack-luster results.
The two most important things to me are a) weight training to shape and sculpt my body, b) nutrition that provides the optimum fuel for my body so I can perform my best during the workouts and recover quickly. The caloric deficit through nutrition is what allows me to release the fat.
I have found that if I do too much cardio or HIIT, I just want to eat more and that can wipe out my caloric deficit. Walking tends to suppress my appetite and it can distract me at moments when I feel like rummaging through the cupboards or fridge. Walking helps me manage my caloric balance.
Q: You talk about doing high intensity interval training sessions on your bike. Is there any special benefit to doing HIIT on a bike?
A: First of all, most of the HIIT studies and research have the subjects perform the intervals on a stationary bike (bike ergometer), so if I want to produce results that even come close to resembling the HIIT claims, I may as well follow the same protocol.
Frankly, I just prefer and enjoy biking more than jogging or running… even though I was a competitive sprinter. It’s a great pump for the legs and the lungs. It’s also easier on my joints. Plus, I ride along a beautiful countryside with a winding river. There’s always lot of action going on with the wildlife, which makes it very entertaining.
Final Success Tips
Q: What are some tips to help the average man or woman start Metabolic Masterpiece the right way and see it through?
A: First of all, they should read the entire book front to back before beginning the program. Next, they should print out all of the workouts and place them in a 3 ring binder. This is their workout journal where they will be tracking their progress from week to week. Third, look through the sample meal plan and recipes, then create your own personal 7 day master meal plan based on the meals that resonate the best for you.
The best advice is to “Work The Program!” Give your best effort and focus to each workout. Metabolic Masterpiece is not just one single program. It’s a package of multiple programs. Your body may respond better to one of the 4-week phases than the others. Make note of the programs that work best for you, so you can come back to them in the future.
Avoid the urge to program hop. While following the Metabolic Masterpiece program, you may open an email about a new “breakthrough” and “cutting edge” workout program that produces rapid results. If the program interests you, make a note of it and come back to it in the future after you have given your 100% attention to completing the Metabolic Masterpiece program.
There are some tips that I have provided in the previous questions, that will certainly help your readers stick to the Metabolic Masterpiece program. One of the best ones would be to schedule a photo shoot for 12 weeks from today after you complete the Metabolic Masterpiece program. It’s one of the greatest rewards and gifts that you could give yourself for sticking to the program and seeing it through. With Metabolic Masterpiece you are viewing your body as a work of art… seeing your pictures from the photo shoot is like viewing a work of art. It is ART!
Last, but not least, would be to take advantage of my support and desire to see you succeed. I’m in personal contact with many of my fellow physique artists. I like to stay up to date on their progress. I like to know what obstacles and challenges they may be facing and do my best to help them overcome those challenges. I sincerely care about everyone who follows the Metabolic Masterpiece Body Sculpting program, and it’s my top priority to see them succeed.
For more about Scott Tousignant’s transformation visit Metabolic Masterpiece. It’s very inspiring.
