How much cardio (stamina/endurance) do I need or to train myself for a tournament? Assuming that I need to play 5-6 games (maybe more) to make to the finals?
Cardio & Interval training It's good idea to have a solid aerobic base but you should really be sure to include quite a bit of interval training for endurance since badminton is primarily an anaerobic sport. Wind sprints is one example of that you could use for interval training... alternate high intensity witrh low intensity in your workouts. After warming up for 3 to 10 minutes, run at high speed for 20-40 seconds (or more); follow this with an equal amount of walking. Repeat the fast/slow cycle again & again. You could also perform interval training on a bicycle (or stationary bicycle), with weight training, jumping rope, etc.