Former Fat Guy Blog » scott-tousignant

Fire Up Your Fat Loss Goals With A Photo Shoot

scott-tousignant — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:42:14 +0000

I attribute my past successes in both fat loss and muscle building to my unstoppable mindset. I set big goals and mission statements, I visualize, I adopt positive beliefs and attitudes, I incorporate support, accountability, and I find role models and mentors to help me along the way. All of these things have motivated the heck out of me in the past. Now I’ve discovered something that has ignited a flame under my butt and has taken my motivation to entirely new level. Scheduling a photo shoot.

I heard a few of my fitness mentors mention this before but I guess I brushed it off. Well not this time. The topic came up in a recent conversation with Tom Venuto and as soon as I got off the phone with him I booked a photo shoot for both my wife Angie and myself. We’re doing this together.

Pay For The Photo Shoot Ahead Of Time

8 weeks from today on April 2nd, Angie and I have a prepaid appointment with a professional photographer. We told her if we don’t show up, she can keep the money. There’s no way that I want to just hand money over for nothing, so you can be sure that this is incentive for me to go ahead with it.

What separates a goal from a dream is a deadline. So many people have a vision in their head of what they want their body to look like, but they don’t give themselves a time line to achieve it by. Scheduling the photo shoot not only provided me with a concrete deadline, it also puts a bit of fear in me because there’s no way that I want my picture taken if I’m not looking my absolute best for it.

I also have a sense of pride about this journey. Having a professional photo taken will give me the opportunity to show off the results of all my hard work that is going into the process.

Scott & Angie’s Fat Loss Goals

On April 2nd the day of the photo shoot I am 5% body fat and Angie is 13% body fat with incredible definition throughout our physiques. We look at our bodies with a sense of pride and accomplishment, much like a sculptor would admire the completion of one of their great works of art. There is a great sense of joy in observing our children, Shayne and Noelle looking at us and our pictures with great admiration and knowing that our actions and behaviors are being passed on to them.

Knowing that accomplishing our goals and sharing our journey with many others has now led a path for others to follow makes us feel like we have taken a giant step towards fulfilling our destiny. After all, we are just an average family but we take our health seriously. We have busy schedules and the typical stresses like everyone else and we have proven that if we can do it so can you.

We are on a mission to reverse the obesity trend and help 100,000 people create the vibrant healthy bodies that they deserve, and we are certain that our journey will spark the inspiration to get this movement going.

We also feel that having accomplished our fat loss goals together as a husband and wife team, truly demonstrates the power of spousal support.

Public Accountability

Angie and I are announcing our goals to everyone that we know and even the thousands of people that read this article for a reason. We understand the power of public accountability. And now for one more piece to the puzzle. Posting our before pictures.

These are our most recent photos. I’m at 10% body fat and Angie is at 18% body fat currently.

I can honestly say that I have never been this psyched about my fat loss goals in all my life.

Even if you aren’t going to be competing on stage, and even if your goal isn’t 5% body fat. I highly recommend that you schedule a photo shoot and capture the image of your vision of your own perfect body.

Pay the photographer in advance and prepare to look your absolute best.

Go for it!

Scott Tousignant

Scott Tousignant, BHK, CFC is the creator of Unstoppable Fat Loss… “Empower Your Mind… And Your Body Will Follow”. Scott has also authored 2 books that are transforming the bodies of people around the world. The Fit Chic and The Fit Bastard not only contain a FULL YEAR of workouts, they provide intense motivation to drive you to fat loss success.

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Top 10 Leg Exercises

scott-tousignant — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 11:18:36 +0000

I must admit that women are a bit wiser than most men in the sense that they realize the importance of working out their legs regularly. But their choice of leg exercises they perform really suck for the most part. Come on ladies, tell me you don’t head straight for the inner and outer thigh machine. Listen up ladies and gents! It’s time to take your leg training seriously. To help you out, my wife Angie and I have put together our top 10 leg exercises below…

These are not beginner exercises by any means. They are meant to challenge you and force your legs to become more like you desire. Many of the movements are performed with one leg and require balance.

Even if you struggle with the exercises at first, I encourage you to keep practicing until you get it. If my 87 year old client can do them I’m sure that you can work your way up to the challenge.

Top 10 Best Leg Exercises

Front Squat
Dead Lift
Split Squat
Reverse Lunge
Step Ups
1 Leg Bench Squat
1 Leg Stability Ball Leg Curl
Bulgarian Lunge
Deep-Partial Squat
1 Leg Ball Squat Against The Wall

Angie and I put together a quick video to demonstrate each exercise.

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As you can see, Angie and I performed each of the top 10 leg exercises from the comfort of our own home with very limited space and very limited amount of equipment.

If you have an 8×8 space with some dumbbells and a stability ball, you can get a phenomenal workout in that will sculpt your body.

Don’t let your workout program get stale. Avoid doing the same old circuits and working at the same old intensity or ‘lack thereof’. Challenge yourself. I dare you to choose 3 of these exercises right now and practice them for 15 minutes. Give it an honest effort and don’t allow yourself to get frustrated.

It’s time to take your fat loss journey to the next level. I know you’re ready!

Have an absolutely amazing day!

Scott Tousignant

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Inspired Weight Loss

scott-tousignant — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:51:09 +0000

Diet and exercise will only take you so far when it comes to weight loss. For 80% of you it has only taken you as far as the first 4 weeks of 2008 after setting your New Years Resolutions to lose weight. Eating well and working out like crazy has now become more of a chore and is very difficult to maintain. So what is it that separates the people who stick with their fat loss goals from those people who continue to struggle to lose weight?

In the words of Jon Benson, “I had to have something much larger than myself as a goal.” Like Jon, the thought of eating better and losing weight because it will make you feel better is just not enough to motivate you to get to the gym when you are tired, or prepare a healthy meal when pizza is just a phone call away.

The Missing Piece of a Weight Loss Program

There’s nothing inspiring about following a diet plan or workout program on it’s own. If that were the case then we would have millions of inspired people because there certainly seem to be a limitless supply of nutrition and exercise books out there. As Dr. Joe Vitale says, “The ‘how to’s’ of weight loss are all over the place.” What was missing for Dr. Vitale was the emotional component of support.

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When I think back 4 years ago when I first signed up to the “Former Fat Guy” newsletter, it wasn’t the nutrition advice or the workout programs Rob was suggesting that kept me reading. It was his inspiring story, words of encouragement, positive example, and positive energy that had me eager to open each email.

We all want that hope that we too will have the lean and sexy body which we deserve. It’s people like Rob Cooper who give us hope. They’ve paved the way and ultimately left a blueprint for us to follow.

But we all have our own unique driving force. What inspired Rob to take massive immediate action may not be what inspires you. You have to do your own soul searching to really get at what it is that’s going to motivate you beyond todays workout or healthy meal plan.

What Is Your Destiny

Lately the word ‘destiny’ has been on my mind constantly. What is my destiny? What’s my mission in life or my life’s purpose? What do I want my legacy to be once I leave this planet.

For me, it’s my destiny to play a major contributing role in reversing the obesity trend. I’m on a mission to help 100,000 people achieve the healthy, lean, and vibrant bodies that they deserve by 2010 and with the help of these 100,000 healthy high achievers we will reverse the obesity trend by 2015.

I’m on a mission to continually improve my body and health year after year and this mission must be achieved because I am leading by example in order to spark this movement.

The words of Clark Bartram ring in my ears. “Don’t accept less than the best for yourself.” It’s my life’s purpose to fulfill this mission and have a tremendous impact on the health of the people on planet Earth. I refuse to accept anything less of myself. This is what drives me each and every day.

I have become an unstoppable person. I will not allow anything to get in my way. I will certainly face many challenges and I look forward to overcoming them. Each challenge will make me stronger.

I am certain that nothing is holding me back from achieving my goals. I am taking one step closer to achieving them each and every day. I choose to go after my dreams and goals with every ounce of my being because this is who I am.

I refuse to put my goals off until tomorrow. There’s no better time to act than right now at this very moment. Now is the time to go after your dream body. What are you waiting for. Take action and don’t look back.

This is the new ‘YOU’. You are willing to do what it takes in order to live the life of your dreams. Take the time to search your mind, heart, and soul, and think of what your life’s purpose is. What role does your health and fitness play in that vision?

Give it all you got!

Your dream body awaits you…

Scott Tousignant

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Quick and Intense Leg Training

scott-tousignant — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:36:15 +0000

My wife Angie is a very busy mom on the go. She doesn’t have time to socialize at the gym let alone even make it there. That’s why when I put her through an incredibly intense leg workout that took less than 10 minutes all in the comfort of our home, she was ecstatic. Like most women, Angie desires lean and tight thighs as well as a firm butt. This quick and effective 10 minute leg workout will do just that.

One of the strategies that I use to get the most out of my workouts in very little time is to perform dropsets. In the workout below Angie demonstrates dropsets for Squats, Forward Lunge, Stiff Leg Dead Lift, and Calve Raises.

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So as you can see in the video it’s really not that difficult to perform a great workout in the comfort of your home, with your kids running around, very little equipment, and in a very short amount of time.

Please don’t let me hear you using the excuse that you don’t have enough time to workout, that you can’t afford a gym membership, that you don’t have any room in your home, that you are too tired, or that it’s too difficult with your kids around.

With this type of training there is no excuse for why you should not be well on your way to achieving your dream body.

And by the way all you fella’s out there. I dare you to try this workout yourself. I bet that you’re not standing by the end

If you are going to workout… give it all you got!

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Effective and Fun Cardio Training

scott-tousignant — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:28:20 +0000

It doesn’t matter how effective a cardio program is at burning fat if it’s difficult to comply to. The easiest way to increase your compliance with your fat loss program is to make the activity fun. Long jogging sessions can be a lot of fun to many people and at the same time seem dreadful to others. I have found a way to make my cardio sessions outrageously fun and the time flies by while I’m doing it. Would you like to know what I do?

Well first of all I like to incorporate a variety of cardio training into my overall program. I enjoy brisk walks in the morning because it clears my head, gets me out in nature, and I can prepare for my day. To me it’s not even exercise even though it contributes to my overall fat loss.

Now here’s what I do to really spice up my cardio program and put my fat loss into overdrive…

High Intensity Interval Training With Loads Of Variety
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Honestly that session flew by and I was sweating buckets. My body temperature was raised for hours afterwards and I swear I can feel the fat melting from my body.

So here’s what I did…

First I started with a 3 minute warm up on the stationary bike. Then I went into the HIIT training session. I like to train 30 seconds at a high intensity and then 30 seconds at a low intensity.

30 seconds of burpees which works out to be about 10 of them
30 seconds of marching on the spot
30 seconds of jumping jacks
30 seconds of marching on the spot
30 seconds of skipping
30 seconds of marching on the spot
30 seconds of mountain climbers
30 seconds of marching on the spot
30 seconds at a high intensity on the stationary bike
30 seconds at a low intensity on the stationary bike
30 seconds of climbing up and down a flight of stairs
30 seconds of marching on the spot

Repeat the entire thing one more time followed by 2 minute cool down on the stationary bike.

Entire workout time… 17 minutes

As you can see you really don’t even need any equipment to get in a great workout. If you don’t have a stationary bike you can always substitute in another activity.

If you want to crank up the intensity even more you could reduce the marching on the spot time to 15 seconds. The idea is to make the difference between the high intensity portion very obvious from the low intensity portion.

Is this type of training more effective than long duration cardio? Like I said, it all depends on if you enjoy it. If you can’t stand it, then the chances of you complying with it are slim to none.

I find that I keep my love for this type of cardio and for my brisk walks because I alternate between the two. Some days I don’t feel like walking and some days I don’t feel like HIIT training. I do what feels right to me at the moment. Sometimes it means that I load my kids up in the bike trailer and hit the roads.

Find what you love and you will find the key to your dream body and fat loss success.

I have a lot of fun doing that HIIT training session which I demonstrated above. The variety of exercises makes the time fly by. Haven’t you ever caught yourself staring at the clock and counting down the seconds of your cardio session?

With this type of training there’s no time to look at the clock and count down how much time is left. Plus it’s so much fun that sometimes I just want to keep going if my legs will allow me.

Try it out for yourself. Tell me how it feels and if it’s something that you could comply with. If anything, I hope that this article has inspired you to find ways to make your training fun.

Have an absolutely amazing day!

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Best Exercises For Chiseled Abs

scott-tousignant — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 11:45:41 +0000

Against popular belief, sit-ups and crunches are not the best exercises for developing chiseled abs and a tight, trim waistline. Yet I see dozens of people everyday in the gym doing these exercises until they are blue in the face. The most common misconception is that the rectus abdominis (6-pack muscle), is the best muscle to work for a spectacular midsection. It simply is not the case…

What you need to do is work the transversus abdominis muscle as well as the internal and external abdominal oblique muscles. These muscles act like a girdle and tighten up your midsection. This can be a great benefit even if you are not losing much weight in your fat loss program.

Why? Well for one, when you strengthen these muscles and create that tight girdle effect, it will actually shrink your waistline even though you haven’t lost any weight. It will appear as if you’ve lost inches.

A second and very important benefit is the increased support that is created when you strengthen the transversus abdominis and the internal and external abdominal oblique muscles. If you’ve got back problems, strengthening these muscles will play a key role in eliminating most of your problems.

These muscles are worked best when you do twisting and core stability movements. Here’s my top 10 abdominal exercises that target this area…

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Remember that in order to achieve 6 pack abs you will need a solid nutrition program combined with resistance, interval, and cardio training. Not to mention a powerful ‘Unstoppable’ Mindset to drive you to fat loss success.

Enjoy the video and take the time incorporate them into your training. On a side note, I do less than 10 minutes of abs training each week. There’s no need for hundreds or thousands of reps. Increase the resistance and only do 10 reps for each exercise. Your abs will get worked with other exercises such as squats and anything else that requires stability.

Have an incredible day!

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Sculpt Your Legs With Drop Sets

scott-tousignant — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 04:29:03 +0000

Drop sets are one of the most effective ways to feel the burn deep into your muscles and and bring them to exhaustion. It’s also an great way to increase the intensity of your workout, get more work done in less time, resulting in reducing the amount of time that you spend in the gym. After all the #1 excuse for not working out is lack of time. Well what if I told you that you could get an intense workout in just 10 minutes 4 times each week? Would you still use the lack of time excuse?

Intense And Effective 10 Minute Workouts

I’ve been putting my wife Angie through intense and highly effective 10 minute workouts for over a year now and she’s achieved incredible results. The most time that any single workout would take her is 20 minutes. She’s a busy mom constantly on the go. She doesn’t have time to spend hours in the gym. But she wants great results.

Well there’s great news. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get great results. Just check out this 10 minute leg workout that Angie did today. She even did it with the kids running around her. Nothing will get in the way of her and her dream body!

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In addition to her four 10 minute intense weight training sessions each week, Angie also includes a few high intensity interval training sessions for cardio. She does this for 15 minutes on the stationary bike. That includes a 3 minute warm up and 2 minute cool down.

And because we love our brisk walks, bike rides, and hiking, it’s always incorporated into the program. Angie just went for a brisk walk an hour ago. We do what we love and enjoy. And we must admit, getting in a 10 minute workout is enjoyable because we’re aren’t stressing about the lack of time that we have to get everything else done.

It’s All About Intensity

You know… what most people are lacking in the gym. Too many people are just going through the motions. To many people are not getting results. If you’ve been doing 30 to 60 minutes of cardio for months and months or even years and not experiencing great results, it’s time to mix things up.

I’m all for incorporating the long duration work into your program, but even then you have to pick up the intensity. You will get what you put into it. Just because you put 60 minutes of time in does not mean that you put in what is required for fat loss success. What’s required is effort, not time.

I hope that you enjoy the workout. It will leave your thighs screaming.

Have a totally awesome day!

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Halloween Fat Loss Workout

scott-tousignant — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:04:46 +0000

One year ago I created a Halloween Workout that is a quick and intense workout using 2 pumpkins and 2 bails of hay. My point was to prove that you can achieve an incredible workout any time and anywhere. Another key point is to have fun with your fitness program. Lack of equipment, space, or time should never hold you back from achieving your dream body. Let’s revisit this fun and effective workout shall we…

The exercise routine is interval training in nature. I grouped a few resistance training exercises with a short bout of cardio training. The entire session took about 10 minutes and had me sweating as you will see in the video.

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These pumpkins were only 10 pounds and you could easily increase the intensity by using heavier pumpkins or increasing the duration of the cardio interval segments. You could also hold the pumpkins while doing the squats, lunges, or even during the interval segment.

Not to mention that you could do the entire circuit 2 times if you are in good shape.

If you celebrate Halloween and use bails of hay and aren’t sure what to do with your decorative pumpkins have a little fun and create your own exercise routine with them.

I encourage you to be creative with your training. Have fun with your programs. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Get outdoors and enjoy being active in the fresh air.

And by the way I like to keep my videos real and show the human side of me. While making this workout video my daughter was crying because she had a runny nose. No I wasn’t ignoring her, my wife was right there taking care of her

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Exercise Less For Fat Loss Success

scott-tousignant — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 18:37:16 +0000

Yes you read that correct… Exercise Less and you will in fact see better weight loss results than what you’ve been experiencing with your current workout program. But there are certain things that you must do in order to maximize this strategy. Would you like to know what this criteria is to boost your metabolism and shed unwanted body fat without spending countless hours in the gym?

I thought you’d be interested. You’ve made a smart decision to continue reading. Before I get to the criteria for quick and effective workouts let me ask you a question…

How may people do you see in the gym who have been working out on a regular basis for years, yet their bodies have not changed at all? Do you see these same people walking or jogging on the treadmill for nearly an hour or even more than an hour every day? There’s a reason for this lack of results…

It’s ‘Lack Of Intensity’.

Now let me ask you another question. Have you ever hit a plateau where the weight loss results that you were experiencing suddenly came to a halt? What did you do at that point? Did you add in another weight training session or increase your cardio by 15 additional minutes?

Then when you stop seeing results once again do you increase the amount of exercise even more all while cutting back on what you eat to the point where your pet rabbit is eating more than you?

I’ll tell you what I’m seeing out there. People who think it’s necessary to spend 90 minutes in the gym 6 days a week in order to achieve any significant results. Who’s got time for that? I know with my busy schedule there’s no way you’ll catch me working out that much.

I’ll tell you what else I see in the gym. People aimlessly wondering around with no plan and no structure. Their just going through the motions lifting a weight that’s not challenging, walking at a speed that barely gets their heart rate going (because that’s what the program says on the treadmill is best for fat loss), and doing the same old thing day in and day out. Their rest periods are excessive and they certainly aren’t enjoying themselves.

And they wonder why they’re not seeing fat loss results.

What they are neglecting to realize is their intensity sucks! Lets face it, challenging yourself can be difficult. We have to step outside of our comfort zone and most people are just not willing to do that.

If what I’ve just said has hit a little too close to home then it’s time that you think long and hard about why you are even going to the gym.

It’s time to get the intensity back into your workouts and here are the key ingredients that absolutely must be in place:

1) You need to have purpose and passion at the foundation of each workout. Purpose comes from realizing that this individual workout is a step toward achieving your ultimate fat loss goal.

Passion comes from realizing all the benefits associated with accomplishing your fat loss goal, such as looking hot in a bathing suit, getting compliments from your friends and spouse, landing your dream job or getting a promotion, increased confidence and self esteem, knowing that you will be around to play with your grandchildren or see your own children get married, and so much more.

2) Make every workout count. You’ve got to give maximum effort to every single rep of each set of every exercise you do. One way that you can do this is by having an intense focus on the individual muscle that you are working. Feel the muscle working and push it to exhaustion. You need to connect your mind with your muscle.

If you’re going to go to the gym, you’ve got to give it everything that you’ve got!

3) Choose a weight that is challenging and push it to momentary muscular exhaustion. 5 pound dumbbells usually don’t cut it. Stimulate those muscles and force them to change to give you the defined body that you deserve.

4) Cut your rest time right down. There are times when I only allow 15 seconds rest between sets, and if I’m super setting or drop setting I may not rest at all. This is the reason why many of my workouts only last for 20 minutes. It’s also the reason why there isn’t a dry spot on my shirt at the end of the workout and my heart rate is higher than the people that have been on the treadmill for an hour.

I created The Fit Chic and The Fit Bastard workouts to be incredibly time efficient so you get the most out of your time in the gym or in your home gym so you can carry on with the rest of your life. Most of the workouts take less than 20 minutes. Some as little as 10 minutes.

When you increase the intensity you can cut your workout time way down and it will be much more effective than the long drawn out programs that most people are doing.

5) Continuous and consistent progress is a powerful way to increase your intensity. If you are better this workout than you were the last and you plan on being better the next workout than you were this one, you will force yourself into increasing your intensity.

This is where using a journal really comes into play. Record the workout that you did, along with the exercises, reps, weight lifted, rest period, and total time that it took you to complete the workout. Make a note of how you feel and how challenging it was. Create a rating system and rate each workout.

When you follow the above strategies you will have no choice but to cut your workout time in half because you simply will not be able to keep up with that pace. Basically you are getting more work done in less time.

You have a choice. You can continue to do what you’ve been doing and experience the same fat loss results or lack there of, or you can do what it takes to get your dream body and pick up the intensity.

You get what you put into your workouts. Make them fun and always put your heart and passion into every single one. Focus on your ultimate fat loss goal and know with absolute certainty that today’s workout has a significant impact on whether or not you will achieve it.

Here’s a great video that I recently came across that talks about some recent studies done on high intensity training.

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There is a time and a place for moderate paced cardio. I enjoy my morning brisk walks, hiking through the trails with my family, and long bike rides while pulling my kids in the carrier behind me.

Those things do contribute to my over all compliance to a healthy and active lifestyle and compliance is really what you should be aiming for. You’ve got to enjoy what you are doing.

But if I am looking at the workouts and activities strictly from a fat burning perspective, the long duration just doesn’t match with the high intensity interval style workouts.

I know many people who have trained for a marathon or triathlon and if what they say about long duration cardio was true, these people should have dropped a whole bunch of weight and that certainly wasn’t the case.

If you love jogging because it clears your head, gives you energy, and you enjoy being out in nature, I suggest that you keep doing it, just a little less and add some high intensity training to the mix.

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Rest and Recovery For Fat Loss Success

scott-tousignant — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:04:22 +0000

When you make the decision to embark on a weight loss journey and begin your exercise program there is a tendency to over-train because of your excitement and enthusiasm and not enough time is spent mapping out a plan which will get you to your destination. Rest and recovery is an essential and key component of a successful fat loss program. Allow me to explain why…

In order for your muscle to grow or become stronger it needs to be stressed or stimulated more than it is used to. That’s why it’s so important to always progress from workout to workout. When you are working out or exercising you are breaking down your muscle tissue. Working out alone is only part of the puzzle when it comes to developing your dream body.

Once the muscle tissue is broken down it needs to be repaired. To repair the muscle tissue requires the intake of healthy natural foods that contain adequate amounts of macro and micro nutrients.

Just as important for your muscle to grow and repair itself is sleep and rest. What I mean by rest is taking days off and not working your muscles. Let me share a recent example with you.

1 week ago I did a heavy and exhausting leg workout. Since then I have been riding my bike for 30 minutes every day. Today it was time for another leg training session. I had my workout journal with me and it was time to progress, but rather than increasing the weight I was going to progress by decreasing the rest period between sets.

After my warm up I loaded up the weight that I had done the previous week for 10 reps. This time I could only get it up 6 times. I just didn’t have the strength. My legs felt exhausted. They had not fully recovered from the previous weeks training and all the biking that I had been doing.

With all that biking you would think that I was doing a great thing. But I wasn’t. All I was doing was continually breaking down my muscle. I was doing more damage than good.

I’ve been talking a lot about muscle in this article. Women, don’t let that word scare you. Muscle is your friend when you want to burn fat. More important is that muscle will shape your body and provide you with the sexy curves and definition that you love to see staring back at you in the mirror.

The message that I want you to take from this is that no matter how excited and motivated you are about your fat loss goal, you’ve got to take a step back and realize that you are doing yourself a world of good when you take a day off from exercising.

Use those days off to work on your nutrition, write out your goals, visualize how great you look in your lean and sexy body, plan your up coming week of workouts, get a massage, and get others involved in your healthy lifestyle.

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Burn Fat With The 8 Sets Of 8 Workout

scott-tousignant — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:27:42 +0000

For the past 4 years I have been incorporating 8 Sets Of 8 into my workout program and every time I complete the 4 weeks of training I am amazed at how incredibly effective it is for not only burning fat but I always seem to add a bit of muscle during this phase as well. Believe me, I’m not the only one who has experienced tremendous fat burning results from this program. Does the name Arnold Schwarzenegger ring a bell?

Yes you heard me right. Arnold was just a huge slab of meat before he used the 8 sets of 8 workout program. He was introduced to the program by it’s creator, Vince Gironda. Vince was known to help bodybuilders achieve the definition and ‘cuts’ that are necessary to win a contest, especially the Mr. Olympia.

Now you can take advantage of this amazing program to chisel away the fat from the muscle and sculpt a masterpiece. The great thing about 8 sets of 8 is that it’s very time efficient. I’m in and out of the gym in less than 30 minutes tops when I follow this program.

In order to get the maximum results from the program you have to perform the routine properly. I’ve put together a video which demonstrates the proper way to do 8 sets of 8.

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The key is choosing the right amount of weight. This is what separates the people who are willing to do what it takes to achieve a sculpted physique from the ones who are ego driven and are obsessed with stacking large amounts of weight on a bar. Check your ego at the door guys.

The weight that you lift in the 8 sets of 8 program is much lighter than what you would typically lift for the exercise. In this program you choose a weight for a particular exercise and you use that same weight for all 8 sets.

To really maximize this type of training you should use a rest period of 15 to 45 seconds between sets. Believe me, your heart will be thumping, your muscles will be pumping, and you will be sweating buckets, especially on leg day.

I guarantee that I am getting a better cardiovascular workout on this program than everyone on the treadmill or stepper.

Typically I will choose 3 exercises for the major body parts and 2 for the smaller body parts and I work no more than 2 body parts per day.

Whether you are a male or female, if you want to burn fat this is definitely a program that you want to use for 4-6 weeks of your fat burning phase.

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Sculpt Your Thighs With The Hack Squat

scott-tousignant — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:09:38 +0000

If you are looking to add some lean muscle and definition to your quads there aren’t many better exercises than the Hack Squat. When performed correct, this simple movement has the potential to carve out some sexy thighs that will beg to be revealed instead of being hidden under those jogging pants.

But you have to know how to perform this movement with proper form, and here’s how…

1. Begin by resting the cushion of the shoulder pads comfortably on your shoulders while facing away from the machine.

2. Typically you can place your feet in a variety of positions on the platform to target different areas of the thighs, but today we want to focus on the quads so you will want to place your feet about 6 to 8 inches apart and towards the lower end of the platform.

In this picture my wife Angie “The Fit Chic” performs the standard Hack Squat

3. Keep your back pressed firmly against the cushion and lower your body while inhaling until your butt nearly touches your calves.

Note: Keep your heels pressed firmly against the platform at all times.

4. Here is the key ingredients which separate a great Hack Squat from a crappy one. On the way up I want you to visualize someone facing you and pushing on your knees to drive them towards the back of the machine.

It seems natural for people to try to use their back or upper thighs to push themselves up. Instead of trying to thrust yourself up, focus on driving those knees back. This will automatically cause you to move up and you will feel the isolation of the quads.

Again, do not allow your heels to come off the platform and keep your back pressed firmly against the cushion. Exhale while you are driving yourself back up to the starting position.

5. Do not lock out at the top. Instead, stop yourself just short of full extension. This way your legs are under constant tension. It won’t take very long for you to feel the burn when you don’t allow any rest by locking out at the top.

Advanced Technique

1. Slow down the tempo and take 5 seconds on the way down and 5 seconds on the way up.

2. Only come up 3/4 of the way. Oh ya! You bet you’ll feel that burn.

Now go give it a shot and tell me what ya think!

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Applying The Law Of Attraction

scott-tousignant — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 02:41:07 +0000

Long before the hit movie “The Secret” came out I was a big fan of John Assaraf’s work, and I read Dr. Joe Vitale’s Book “The Attractor Factor“. As I followed John’s work throughout the years the one thing that resonated with me the most was his use of vision boards. I immediate realized how powerful this simple tool could be in my drive toward not only my fitness goals, but all goals in my life.

Throughout my University education in the field of Kinesiology, the subjects that fascinated me the most were Sport Psychology and Sport Philosophy. In these courses we learned a lot about the power of visualization and the same studies that are talked about in the movie “The Secret”. Believe me, there are countless studies out there on the power of visualization!

Visualizing my goals and experiencing the feelings and emotions of already achieving them has always come naturally to me within my sports background. But I knew that I had to give this vision board thing a try.

But…

Being the over-achiever that I am, I knew that I had to take it to a whole new level. A board was just not enough for me, especially in the world we live in where people are always trying to discourage us from achieving our goals by knocking them down.

Basically, I’ve bombarded my mind and my life with my goals. I’ve got pictures of my fitness goal body on my desk, on my computer, on my alarm clock, on my bedroom wall, on my bathroom mirrors, on my fridge, in my car.

Plus I have my goals written out next to them with all the feelings and emotions of already achieving them, and I’ve got inspirational quotes next to them too.

Here’s a video clip of my house to give you an idea of what I’m talking about:

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Notice the screen saver on my computer at the beginning of the video clip. It’s the wax seal from the movie “The Secret”. Take a look at the quotes and the fake 1 million dollar bill.

This is a lot of fun for me and yes people do look at me a little funny at times, but now they’re all used to it and have started doing it themselves. For the people that knock it… So be it. This works for me and I’m not going to let anyone else’s comments or opinions get in the way of me and my goals.

I encourage you to bombard your mind with the images, thoughts, and feelings of the goals that you expect to accomplish. Since practicing this incredible Law Of Attraction, I find myself in almost disbelief at the incredible miracles that have happened in my life.

I’m telling you man, miracles are happening daily. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but I does seem as if I am much more in tune and aware of the many amazing opportunities that are being presented on a daily basis.

The key factor is being open and willing to RECEIVE these incredible miracles into your life. Why? Because YOU deserve it! With a capital ‘D’

By the way…

A little while back Rob wrote a great blog post where he displayed a picture of a note on top of his alarm clock which read “6% Body Fat“. Check out that great post here:

Your Dream Body Awaits You…

Here to serve you… Scott

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Spontaneous Fitness

scott-tousignant — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 10:47:55 +0000

I’m going to be up front and honest with you right off the bat here. This summer I have not followed a regimented weight loss program or a structured fitness program. I have only been to the gym approximately 8 times in the past 8 weeks.

Have I fallen off the weight loss wagon?

Is this personal fitness trainer losing his mind and throwing in the towel?

Nope! I’m proud to say that I am in better shape today then I was at the start of the summer…

… And I’m enjoying myself more then ever before. But how can this be you ask?

Well just because I haven’t made it to the gym does not mean that my activity level has dropped off. Honestly, I have been more physically active in the past 8 weeks then I was for the 16 weeks prior to summer.

Although I may not have followed a regimented diet program, I have been enjoying the locally grown fresh veggies and fruits and definitely eating my fill of them.

We are living in a time when there are more diet and fitness books than we could ever possibly read and yet the obesity rate is rapidly climbing. I don’t believe that this trend is going to stop and reverse itself all because a new diet program comes out or fitness routine is introduced to the market. It’s much bigger than that.

I’ve got to tell you that I personally I tried dozens of highly effective workout programs and several incredibly effective nutrition programs as well. Their are countless programs out there that really do work…

… When you stick to them!

The problem as I see it, is that people are following weight loss programs that they aren’t enjoying at all. In fact, they totally despise them. You may be following this new diet or workout program simply because it is a new trend or maybe a friend or two has been on it recently. They may be enjoying it, but to you it’s absolute torture.

My advice… Do what you love and are passionate about!

For me that means doing activities where I’m surrounded by nature. I love exercising in the great outdoors. This summer I have done more biking than ever before because I’ve found new trails to ride on, mountains to bike up, and my 2 young children have learned to ride their bikes this year as well.

I’ve climbed a mountain a couple times this summer, swam a whole lot, walked quite a bit, hiked often, and so many other physical activities.

Being active while playing in the sand with Shayne

But what I enjoyed most was being active with my kids Shayne (6) and Noelle (4), and of course my wife Angie. It’s been so much fun shooting hoops, kicking the ball, playing catch, and just running around playing tag and hide and go seek. I personally don’t know how many parents keep up with their children. One thing for sure is that it’s definitely a great way to improve your overall performance in life.

Shooting some hoops with Noelle. She made me work up a sweat.

I’ve also put up my fence as well as my neighbours fence this year and done a significant amount of landscaping. Just last week I was planing on going to the gym and working my legs and shoulders after I spent some time in garden. Well after 4 hours of hauling dirt in the wheel barrow and using the sod cutter to shape the garden I was in no condition to workout.

For days I felt just how intense of a workout that gardening really is. My traps were sore, my legs were throbbing, my lats were on fire, my arms were stiff, and my abs felt like I had done 1000 sit-ups.

The point that I’m trying to make is that you can achieve the body of your dreams by being spontaneous and doing the activities that you love. Several studies show that exercise compliance increases when you are participating in physical activities that you enjoy.

I admit 100% that I’m beginning to miss the gym. Working out and the feeling of cold hard steel in your hands and the smell of sweat just feels natural to me. I will follow a regimented program again soon, but it sure is great to know that I can improve my health and my body by simply having fun!

Have a totally awesome day!

Scott Tousignant, BHK, CFC is the creator of Unstoppable Fat Loss… The Mental Diet And Series Of Brain Exercises That Is The Best Workout Your Body Could Ever Ask For! Scott has also authored 2 books that are transforming the bodies of people around the world. The Fit Chic and The Fit Bastard not only contain a FULL YEAR of workouts, they provide intense motivation to drive you to fat loss success.

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