The Fit2 Perform Podcast
The Fit2 Perform Podcast
with Steffan Lloyd-Evans and Bobby Windebank
289. Why Cardio Might Be Making You a Worse Performer
19 minutes Posted Feb 16, 2026 at 8:00 am.
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19:11
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If you’re constantly exhausted, flat on stage, or struggling to recover, the problem might not be that you’re doing too little cardio. It might be that you’re doing it wrong.


In this episode of The Fit2 Perform Podcast, Bobby and Steffan unpack one of the biggest myths in performer training: that more cardio automatically equals better stamina. For many performers, excessive conditioning is quietly draining strength, blunting power, and slowing recovery.


This is not anti-cardio. It’s pro-smart cardio.






🏃 Too much steady-state cardio

Excessive long-duration cardio can reduce strength gains, limit power output, and increase fatigue if not programmed carefully.


⚖️ The interference effect

Endurance work and strength training compete for adaptations. If not structured well, endurance can blunt strength and power development.


🎭 The double-dip problem

Performers already get huge conditioning loads through rehearsals, choreography, and shows. Adding more on top can tip the balance into overtraining.


🔋 Conditioning should support performance

Cardio should enhance recovery and stamina, not leave you feeling flat or depleted on stage.






• Match your cardio type to your performance demands.

• Prioritise strength first, conditioning second.

• Use low-intensity cardio strategically to support recovery.

• Reduce cardio volume during heavy show weeks.


Because the goal is not to be the fittest person in the gym. It’s to be the most durable, powerful, and consistent performer on stage.


👉 Tune in now to Why Cardio Might Be Making You a Worse Performer on The Fit2 Perform Podcast.

Got questions about balancing strength and conditioning? Email us at [email protected] and we’ll break it down.

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