How to Survive BJJ Training in the Summer Heat

Training BJJ in the summer can be tough. The room is hot, your gi feels heavy, and you start sweating before warm-ups even begin. Follow the advice in this post to make training in the summer heat much more enjoyable.

Drink More Water (and Start Early)

If you only start drinking water right before training, it’s already too late. You need to stay hydrated all day—especially in the summer.

When you sweat, you don’t just lose water. You also lose salts your body needs to function. That’s why just plain water isn’t always enough.

What to do:

• Drink water all day, not just before class.
• Add electrolytes to your water.
• Eat salty snacks after training.
• Bring a big water bottle and take sips between rounds.
• Bonus tip: Freeze your water bottle the night before—fill it halfway and lay it on its side in the freezer. Before class, fill the rest with cold water. It stays cool longer and helps you feel refreshed during training.

Signs you need more water:
Dry mouth, dark yellow pee, feeling dizzy, getting cramps. If any of those happen, slow down and drink.

Cool Down the Smart Way

After hard training in the heat, your body needs time to recover. Don’t just pack up and leave right away. Cooling down properly helps you feel better, recover faster, and avoid that “overheated” feeling later in the day.

During class:

• Sit near a fan between rounds, but don’t block it—let the air move freely so everyone can cool off.

After class:

• Don’t just lie on the mat. Move gently—do light stretching or a slow walk around the gym. This helps your body keep sweating and releases tension from rolling.
• Take a cool (not ice-cold) shower to lower your body temperature without shocking your system.
• Keep sipping water and get some food in soon after training.

Wear the Right Gear

What you wear makes a big difference in the heat.

Tips:

• Wear a lightweight gi if you have one.
• In no-gi, choose rashguards and shorts that dry fast.
• Avoid cotton—it holds sweat and gets heavy.

If you train more than one session:
Always bring a clean, dry set for your next session. Training in wet gear is uncomfortable and your still fresh training partners won’t like it either.

Don’t Push Through Fatigue

Your body works harder in the heat. If you push too much, you can overheat or even get sick.

How to stay safe:

• Go lighter on hard sparring when it’s very hot.
• Focus more on technique.
• Sit out a round if you need to.
• Get enough sleep and rest between sessions.

Humidity Makes It Worse—Here’s What We Do

It’s not just the heat that gets you. Humidity makes it harder for sweat to cool your body down. When the air is full of moisture, your body can’t cool itself properly.

That’s why at BJJ Lab, we use fans and dehumidifiers to keep the air moving and the mats dry—even when it’s hot. It helps you breathe easier, stay cooler, and train safer.

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