How to Keep Making Progress When it's Too Hot

Heat, Training & Mindset

Extreme heat is a reality of sport—especially in Australia.
High temperatures mean scheduled junior and senior training sessions get cancelled for safety reasons, which is always the priority.

But a cancelled session does not mean a wasted day.

High-performance athletes understand one key principle:
Progress is about adaptation, not perfection.

Safety Comes First

Training in extreme heat increases the risk of:

• Dehydration

• Heat exhaustion

• Heat stroke

• Reduced concentration and injury risk

Cancelling or modifying sessions is the right decision when conditions become unsafe.

Cancellation ≠ No Progress

The mistake many athletes make is an all-or-nothing mindset:

“If I can’t train properly, I won’t train at all.”

Elite athletes think differently:

“What can I do today to move forward?”

There is always something you can do.

How to Modify Your Training on Hot Days

1. Reduce Intensity

Not every session needs to be max effort.
Focus on:

• Technique

• Rhythm

• Control

• Quality movement

Skill work at 60–70% still builds mastery.

2. Reduce Training Time

A shorter session done well beats a long session done poorly.

• 20–30 minutes of focused work is enough

• Stop before fatigue compromises technique

3. Increase Rest Periods

• More rest = better quality reps

• Use rest time for hydration and recovery

• Think quality over quantity

4. Increase Water & Electrolytes

• Hydrate before, during, and after training

• Don’t wait until you feel thirsty

• Add electrolytes if sweating heavily

5. Train Indoors if Possible

If you have access to:

• An indoor facility

• A garage

• A gym

• Air conditioning

Use it.

Great indoor options include:

• Mobility and flexibility

• Core work

• Arm care programs

• Medicine ball throws (low volume)

• Strength work at reduced loads

6. Choose Smarter Drills & Games

On hot days, avoid:

• Long conditioning blocks

• Repeated max-effort sprints

• High-volume running

Instead, choose:

• Short skill games

• Reaction drills

• Throwing accuracy challenges

• Bat-to-ball drills

• Decision-making games

You can develop skill and feel without overloading the body.

The Real Lesson: Mindset

Heat doesn’t stop progress—poor mindset does.

Athletes who improve long-term are the ones who:

• Adapt instead of complain

• Look for solutions instead of excuses

• Choose something over nothing

Progress isn’t always loud or sweaty.
Sometimes it’s quiet, controlled, and intentional.

Final Message

You don’t need perfect conditions to get better.
You need:

• Awareness

• Flexibility

• The discipline to adjust

If you choose the mindset that you can do something, you will always move forward.

Stay safe. Stay smart. Keep stacking progress!

DOWNLOAD: HOT DAY TRAINING CHECKLIST