I experienced “kill mode” last week after attending a “total body conditioning” class at my gym (my first group class ever).. At one point I thought I was going to vomit. I went back today, and am hoping that I’m not too sore to attend the Thursday class as well. One question, though, does this theory apply to weight machines as well? I usually up the weights after I can do 2 sets (30 sec. rest) with relative ease. Should I amp up the weight after the first set instead making my second set an attempt at “kill mode”? Thanks for the great info!! -Jessica
Here’s a little-publicized fact:
If you want fast results, you’re going to have to work out HARD. Oops…looks like I just lost 99% of the world as a potential customer.
Nevertheless, it’s a FACT. Effective fat burning workouts are uncomfortable by nature.
Let me ask you this…
When is the last time you felt “uncomfortable” during a workout? I’m talking about “hands-on-your-knees, sucking-wind, sweat-dripping-on-the-gym-floor” uncomfortable? For most people it ain’t recent.
But it’s absolutely necessary.
Why? Because it’s not about how many calories you burn during a workout – it’s about how many calories you burn after.
Classic example: For the last two weeks I’ve been working out with a guy by the name of Dan “The Machine” Long. He doesn’t call himself that, but I do. Why? Because he’s a machine. Pretty self-explanatory.
Well, yesterday Dan put me through a workout that resulted in me burning 647 calories in 45 minutes. Not too shabby. But that’s not where the real magic happened – no, the real magic happened about 20 minutes later when I pulled in to my garage and that same calorie monitor read 1009 calories.
That’s 362 additional calories burned while sitting on my butt driving home – that’s more than most people burn in a 30 minute workout, and I did it while sitting around.
Had I left the calorie monitor on for another hour, it probably would have read somewhere around 1500 calories (nearly TRIPLE the caloric burn of the actual workout).
And I attribute that kind of dramatic “afterburn” directly to the intensity of the workout, and more specifically to a concept that Dan refers to as “kill mode”.
What is kill mode? Well, allow me to define it for you, straight from Results Dictionary:
Kill Mode (‘kil · mōd) noun – a mental shift that occurs approximately half way through a work set in which fatigue is ignored, adrenaline prevails, and all-out max effort fat loss domination begins
Boom!
A practical example:
Let’s say you’re doing a timed set of jump squats for one minute. The first 30 seconds is auto-pilot. The final 30 seconds is when you enter kill mode – you forget about how you’re feeling, you allow adrenaline to take over, and you give it your all. You push. You go harder. You dominate.
That’s kill mode, and it works — bigtime.
Is it uncomfortable? YES. Is it HARD? Absolutely. Does it require mental toughness? You better believe it.
But as I stated at the very beginning of this post, you’re NEVER going to get the results you’re after without truly, genuinely working HARD.
Think about it – are you truly pushing yourself during your workouts? Does each set end with a “kill mode” moment? If not, you’re barely scratching the surface of your fat loss potential!
So here’s what I want you to do: If you’re willing to commit to giving “kill mode” a go in your next workout, respond by leaving a comment below. At least 200 comments and I’ll be back tomorrow with 3 more workout tips for maximal fat loss.
Time to DOMINATE.
Joel
P.S. This is your opportunity to show your commitment to pushing yourself and taking your workouts (and results) to the next level by commenting below. Step out and make the commitment – I’m first in line, and I want you with me. Talk to you in the comments section!
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286 comments - add yours
KILL MODE IS THE WAY FORWARD!!
Thx for the info. Also, apart from working out hard, we gotta work out smart. By that, I mean we can’t eat whatever we want if we are to loste weight. We gotta be smart about our eating habits too.
Yes! I describe it as the moment you suddenly realise those muscles exist, you want/need to feel the burn and stretch, and you’re whole being and mental attitude suddenly switches gear from counting mode, to “COME ON!!! PUSH!!! GO!!!! YEAH!!!! DO IT!!!!!” mode. Saw one other commenter call it “Euphoria point”, and that;s not a bad description either, as there is that sense of being able to take on the world, and win, when you hit it!
Anyway, great post! Inspiring! :)
hell yeah Joel ;-)
Where can I purchase a calorie monitor? Is there a certain brand that you recommend?
I am a 57 year old female and I am loosing steadily but slowly. So far I have lost and kept off 22 lbs in 4 months.(Over Thanksgiving and Christmas) Been so much harder since I went through menapause five years ago. I am now on bioidenticle Hormones and that seems to be helping. Testosterone and Progesterone. Never had a weight problem before menapause.
Yea!
I am a wrestler and I understand what your talking about. U have to get to the point where yur mind tells u to quit, where it says u can’t do anymore, then push farther. I use that concept in all my workouts, whether its a practice or a weightlifting session. It has also led me to squating +405 below parallel, and having a 485 lb deadlift at only 15 years old.
I’d really like to know the kill mode steps to take. I do a fast 3 mile walk each day and would like to increase its effectiveness. Thanks!
Joel I never knew this. Thanks!!!
I LOVE working out also! I am in the same boat as Kelly (above). Usually the only female in the free weight room. At first, I would get the funny and weird looks from all of the younger men (boys to me, because they are my daughters age, lol). Most of the time, they are standing around, they’ll lift a couple of reps, then stand around for “several” minutes in the way to talk. While frustrating at first, I have gained the respect of everyone in there, because when I’m there, I’m there to work out, always in “Kill Mode”. They just step out of my way to let me do ‘my thing’ now.
I have been training my sister to run a 5k together, her first, now I’m nursing stress fractures in my foot. Big damper on the training, but I am still in the gym, on the bike and the weight room, hobbling around on the crutches. :) Our motto now is “NO EXCUSES”!!!
Love it so much that I am now in classes to become a Certified Personal Trainer! I love to help people achieve and realize their dreams and reach their full potential in the gym. But mostly to believe in themselves!
Wish me luck on the 5k, it’s only 5 weeks away!
Hi Joel, I think you’re absolutely right. I have no problem pushing myself but I’m 57 and have asthma and I’ve noticed something strange. I do MRT using exercises from your program, TT and Mike Geary. I also do sprint interval training often following the MRT. I push my pulse rate up to 150-160 and I feel fine. No significant shortness of breath, asthma symptoms, maybe muscle ache. I don’t feel bad after the workout but if I really push it, I get sick 2-3 days later – usually flu like illness. I’m a physician and have had checkups and know I don’t have any underlying illness (that is detectable with current technology). It seems as if pushing too hard lowers my immune system in some way. I’ve lost 35 lbs over the last few months and would love to keep pushing harder but I can’t afford to get sick every time I go too far. And I never know until a few days later. What’s happening?
Hey Joel,
What do you use to track your calories burned and where can I get one?
Thanks,
Eric
Can’t wait to hear more about this. Like other ladies I am usually the only lady in the weights section of the gym. Other ladies that go to the gym seem to only use machines I wish the instructors and assistants there had the knowledge and enthusiasm to let these ladies know that they could achieve so much more by using free weights. I’m a personal trainer myself and always get my clients using free weights, or cable machines, from the word go. If I had my way i would get rid of all machines though i do understand they are good for a small percentage of people. Anyway can’t wait to hear more great, useful info from you!
@ Charles Catzavelos:
Hi Charles. I used to have a similar problem. After long experimentation i found out that I wasn’t hydrating properly. I increased the amount of potassium and overall minerals I was taking, while actually having to DECREASED the amount of water I was drinking per day. That and “nasal washings” have kept me training hard without a single sickness for over 8 months. Hope it helps.
i am just waiting for the next session to try this !!
very intersting and informative article .. I’ll start doing it today.
Thanx
I’m ready to push harder!!!
How long is an ‘afterburn’? 2H, 6h, …
Good point, Joel.
As a career Soldier, I know full well to perform workouts until muscle failure. It’s the moment that separates the men from the boys, the winners from the failures. Now concentrating on kettle-bell swings for muscle-building and fat trimming. Dropped from 197 to 180 since beginning CYWT on Thanksgiving and loving it.
Couldn’t be more interested!
Hey Joel … I am always in …
I love the phrase … “GO BIG OR GO HOME”.
Mark in Minnepaolis
In yoour blog post you mentioned a calorie monitor. Do you have a recommendation for a good one?
Hey Joel
Thanks for the information! Cant wait to learn more
Bring it on … Thanks in advance
Hi Joel,
Thanks so much for your reply. I think you may be right, I drink tons of water and eat virtually no salt. How did you increase your mineral intake?
Best regards
Charlie
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Hey, it’s Joel! So you want to know a little more about me, huh? Well, I’d be happy to oblige :-)
I guess it all started back in 2001 (my freshman year of college) when I was just a “skinny fat” 19-year old kid. At the time, I was spending close to 2 hours a day in the gym (now my workouts last about 30 minutes), and despite my efforts, you’d probably never guess I worked out a day in my life by looking at me...