Scott Tousignant

IM: How old are you; where are you from?

ST: I’m 37 years old from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

IM: What got you into lifting, and how old were you?

ST: At 14 years old I was getting bounced around the ice by the older and bigger guys in high school hockey. I knew that I needed to put on some size in order to stand my ground in front of the net, so I looked for guidance from my best friend’s brother, who was playing in the OHL and eventually made it to the NHL. Not only did working out improve his hockey game, but his physique was impressive too.

He set me up with a program to follow in my parents’ basement with the old cement-filled York weight plates, a bench and a York 2000 multigym. I covered my walls with posters of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme for inspiration.

I started lifting to improve my game, but it was the attention from girls that kept the fire burning.

IM: How often do you work out now?

ST: Five days per week.

IM: What’s your best training tip?

ST: Experience maximum muscle stimulation by including a variety of training protocols, rep ranges, rest periods and angles in every workout. For example, I may start off a leg workout by taking a page out of old-school classic physique artist Vince Gironda’s book and perform eight sets of eight reps on front squats with just 15 seconds’ rest between sets.

Then I’ll move on to three straight sets of glute/ham raises for six repetitions with 90 seconds’ rest.

Next I perform four drop sets of barbell split squats for eight to 12 reps with no rest between sets other than the time it takes to reduce the weight. That targets those muscle fibers deep down that often get neglected.

Next comes three supersets of leg presses for eight reps and jump squats  for 12 reps—no rest between exercises and 60 seconds’ rest between supersets.

I’ll finish off the workout with two straight sets of leg extensions and leg curls—targeting 15 repetitions with 30 seconds’ rest between sets.

That sample workout includes eight sets of eight, straight sets, drop sets and supersets. It includes rest periods of 0, 30, 60 and 90 seconds and reps of six, eight, 12 and 15. Combined and working in tandem, the variety of training protocols, rest periods and rep ranges skyrockets your results compared to using any one of them on their own.

That’s the kind of synergist strategy that makes the Metabolic Masterpiece workouts so incredibly effective at sculpting your body into a work of art.

IM: What diet tips have helped you achieve your lifting goals?

ST: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. If you’re serious about your physique goals, it’s critical to measure your nutrition intake. Otherwise you’re simply guessing where you need to improve and by how much. The food scale and online meal planner are priceless tools in my quest for attaining the aesthetically pleasing physique that I desire.

IM: What keeps you motivated to train?

ST: Number one, I’m fascinated by the ability of the human body to continue improving and building upon itself. I view physique training as an art form and my body as a work of art. It’s the attention to detail that excites the heck out of me. I love seeing new striations appear as I get ripped and thicker muscle bellies as I build up. I can look at my physique with a critical eye and understand exactly what I need to do in order to bring up a lagging bodypart in an effort to sculpt spectacular symmetry and perfect proportions.

Scheduling semi-annual photo shoots for the past couple years has provided me with the urgency to improve my physique every six months. I strive to see noticeable improvements in my appearance with each photo shoot.

This past year, at the age of 37, I took a huge step outside of my comfort zone by competing for the first time in a natural bodybuilding competition. There was no way that I was going to step onstage unless I looked the absolute best that I ever have. That was a huge motivator for me, and the hard work paid off with a second-place finish in my weight class. The young gentleman who beat me also won the junior division and the overall title. I’m now driven to climb up the ranks and win the title the next time I step onstage.

IM: What’s the biggest mistake you see in the gym?

ST: Lack of focus—mind/muscle connection—and control, with little or no intent to create adequate tension where it’s meant to be felt. Too many egos get in the way of properly executing an exercise for maximum benefits. I would love to see more guys reducing the weight and slowing down each repetition in an effort to isolate the target muscle as effectively as possible with minimal involvement from the supporting muscles.

IM: What projects are you currently working on?

ST: I’m continually adding to the Metabolic Masterpiece product line, designing workout programs that produce picture-perfect physiques, ready for photo shoots or the stage. Of course, you don’t need to compete or have professional photos taken—but you’ll be more than happy to know that you’ve sculpted a body that’s worthy of both.

Editor’s note: Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs at abs.metabolicmasterpiece.com/how-to-get-ripped.