Insights
It’s Hot. You’re Tired. And That’s Exactly Why You Train.
JC
Jason Cypret
•
4 min read
Summer is the season when motivation goes missing.
The heat index climbs. Vacation plans pop up. The gym gets quieter. Even your most consistent training partners start skipping with a sheepish, “I’ll be back next week.”
This is the exact moment where the average athlete fades.
But you? You’re not average.
Discipline > Motivation
The best athletes in the world aren’t always the most motivated — they’re the most consistent. When conditions get hard, they show up anyway.
Ben Bergeron, author of Chasing Excellence, puts it like this: “Talent plus grit is unstoppable.”
Source: Goodreads – Ben Bergeron
Grit isn’t about crushing every workout. It’s about showing up when it’s hard, when you’re tired, when the sun’s baking the pavement. “When things get hard, you push harder; when you fail, you get back up stronger.”
Source: Bergeron’s Hierarchy of Mindset
And he’s not alone.
Nick Saban, legendary Alabama football coach, tells his players:
“There are two pains in life. The pain of discipline, or the pain of disappointment. If you can handle the pain of discipline, you’ll never have to deal with the pain of disappointment.”
Source: Nick Saban Quotes
These aren’t just locker room slogans. They’re a mindset shift.
Discipline isn’t about doing the hard thing once. It’s about doing the simple things every day - especially when it would be easier not to.
Summer Isn’t the Off-Season. It’s the Refining Season.
Most athletes treat the summer like an off-ramp. But the best ones? They use it to sharpen.
CJ Martin of Invictus says training is the way we build an “unconquerable mindset.”
Source: CJ Martin – Invictus
The more you show up — even when it’s hard — the more proof you collect that you’re built different. It’s not about chasing perfection. It’s about showing up and putting in reps - mentally and physically.
Dan Gable, the legendary wrestler and coach, trained with one purpose: make practice harder than competition. He believed adversity is a feature, not a bug.
“Mental toughness is when your mind says ‘I can’t,’ but you do it anyway.”
Source: Dan Gable Quotes
And David Goggins, the Navy SEAL turned ultra-endurance icon, lives in the pain cave:
“Discipline trumps everything… When effort is your main priority, you stop looking for everything to be enjoyable.”
The Science Says: Train in the Heat
Turns out the struggle isn’t just in your head. It’s in your blood.
Training in the heat forces the body to adapt:
- More efficient sweating and cooling
- Better cardiovascular stability
- Improved oxygen delivery to muscles
- Reduced perceived effort over time
Source: Gatorade Sports Science Exchange
Heat adaptation typically takes 7–14 days - but the benefits last.
Even more interesting? Training in heat makes you better even in cooler weather.
Studies show increases in VO2 max, blood plasma volume, and overall endurance just from consistent heat exposure.
Source: PMC - Heat Acclimation
So yeah, showing up in July might just make you crush it in October.
Real Talk from the Gym Floor
Not every day is a PR day. Sometimes you show up just to move.
Sometimes you’re sore, or tired, or frustrated, and all you can do is sweat and check the box.
That’s not failure. That’s what consistency looks like.
Your goal might be simple: look better, feel better, earn the occasional cheat meal without guilt. Whatever it is, showing up today keeps that goal alive.
You don’t have to win every workout. But you do have to be there.
The toughest days are the most meaningful - because they teach you what you’re made of.
What You Can Do This Week
- Train at least twice, even if it’s just to move and sweat
- Log your workout, even if it wasn’t your best
- Send a text to a gym buddy who hasn’t been showing up
- Write down one goal you want to stay committed to through the heat
Remember: you’re not training for perfect days. You’re training so you don’t need them.
“You’re going to have days that are incredibly challenging… It’s important to realize that the toughest days are your best days, because they have the potential to force the most adaptation - mentally, as well as physically.”
— Ben Bergeron
Source: Chasing Excellence – Goodreads
Let’s keep showing up.
Let’s keep each other accountable.
Let’s train through the heat.
