MY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT A MILL SHOULD BE The first really fast mill I saw was the one built by Robert Lemm. From that moment I understood - easy spinning is the way to go. I couldn’t afford to buy one from Lemm - so decided to build one myself. (Hell, until I learned to make a mill that will spin good - I spent the amount I could buy several ones, LOL. But this pays off finally - a know-how is the most valuable thing in life IMO ). I constantly hear people saying: “what is the difference, running hard on a heavy mill or running hard on a fast mill - since the amount of effort is the same, and a heavy mill also works the muscles?” Well, with the education background that I have I can say - this is apples and oranges. We can’t judge by effort level alone - since different regimens of work cause different adaptations in the body. When a dog is sprinting on a heavy mill, the first adaptation that takes place in the heart is increasing stroke volume (the amount of blood the left ventricle pumps out with one single contraction). This adaptation takes place via heart muscle hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle wall - like any muscle grows due to resistance training). Can we ask ourselves: how much can the heart wall thicken? We are talking about only a certain %. When a dog is sprinting on an easy spinning mill, the first adaptation that takes place in the heart is increasing the heart rate. This happens due to developing neuro-muscular pathways within the heart muscle - and also to some extent due to dilatation of heart chambers. How much can the heart rate increase due to training? We are talking about like several times. This happens also in 2 different ways: 1. The body becomes more tolerant to high heart rate. 2. The body learns to deal with work load using a lower heart rate. Another benefit of a free spinning mill is the dog can recover on the mill, slowing down to trotting or walking. On a heavy mill a dog slows down - but still has to push the heavy belt, means he is still laboring (and the man is thinking the dog is recovering - since he slowed down). On an easy spinning mill one doesn’t need to guess when a dog need recovery and how much of it - the dog decides for himself. One more benefit of a free spinning mill is the dog’s body absorbs less foot vibration. On a heavy mill the paw stays longer on support, means the loaded slat passes more rollers - hence more vibration. Some millmakers try to deal with this putting two rows of rollers on each rail - but this means yet more friction, means slower belt, means longer on support, means more vibration. On a free spinning mill the foot stays on support just for a tiny moment - means less vibration for the joints and ligaments (like Usain Bolt running - like on hot coals). I had a pro video man videotape a dog on my mill and on a heavy mill - and then watched the recording frame by frame. On my mill the paw stays on support while the slat passes 2 rollers, on a heavy mill it took 3-4 rollers. When dogs that are used to a heavy mill are put on my mill - many of them can’t run normally at first: they are used to increase power but can’t increase stride frequency, so their feet are tripping, they are afraid and only walk in an awkward manner. Because besides different stride patterns such dog is not used to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers - he can push hard but can’t pick his feet up fast, since the belt is gliding from under the feet they tend to lean forward, choking on the collar instead of running “on their feet”. It takes from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to re-establish new movement patterns. So I think there is a method behind my madness…LOL
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT A MILL SHOULD BE The first really fast mill I saw was the one built by Robert Lemm. From that moment I understood - easy spinning is the way to go. I couldn’t afford to buy one from Lemm - so decided to build one myself. (Hell, until I learned to make a mill that will spin good - I spent the amount I could buy several ones, LOL. But this pays off finally - a know-how is the most valuable thing in life IMO ).
I constantly hear people saying: “what is the difference, running hard on a heavy mill or running hard on a fast mill - since the amount of effort is the same, and a heavy mill also works the muscles?” Well, with the education background that I have I can say - this is apples and oranges. We can’t judge by effort level alone - since different regimens of work cause different adaptations in the body.
When a dog is sprinting on a heavy mill, the first adaptation that takes place in the heart is increasing stroke volume (the amount of blood the left ventricle pumps out with one single contraction). This adaptation takes place via heart muscle hypertrophy (thickening of the muscle wall - like any muscle grows due to resistance training). Can we ask ourselves: how much can the heart wall thicken? We are talking about only a certain %.
When a dog is sprinting on an easy spinning mill, the first adaptation that takes place in the heart is increasing the heart rate. This happens due to developing neuro-muscular pathways within the heart muscle - and also to some extent due to dilatation of heart chambers. How much can the heart rate increase due to training? We are talking about like several times. This happens also in 2 different ways: 1. The body becomes more tolerant to high heart rate. 2. The body learns to deal with work load using a lower heart rate.
Another benefit of a free spinning mill is the dog can recover on the mill, slowing down to trotting or walking. On a heavy mill a dog slows down - but still has to push the heavy belt, means he is still laboring (and the man is thinking the dog is recovering - since he slowed down). On an easy spinning mill one doesn’t need to guess when a dog need recovery and how much of it - the dog decides for himself.
One more benefit of a free spinning mill is the dog’s body absorbs less foot vibration. On a heavy mill the paw stays longer on support, means the loaded slat passes more rollers - hence more vibration. Some millmakers try to deal with this putting two rows of rollers on each rail - but this means yet more friction, means slower belt, means longer on support, means more vibration. On a free spinning mill the foot stays on support just for a tiny moment - means less vibration for the joints and ligaments (like Usain Bolt running - like on hot coals). I had a pro video man videotape a dog on my mill and on a heavy mill - and then watched the recording frame by frame. On my mill the paw stays on support while the slat passes 2 rollers, on a heavy mill it took 3-4 rollers.
When dogs that are used to a heavy mill are put on my mill - many of them can’t run normally at first: they are used to increase power but can’t increase stride frequency, so their feet are tripping, they are afraid and only walk in an awkward manner. Because besides different stride patterns such dog is not used to recruit fast twitch muscle fibers - he can push hard but can’t pick his feet up fast, since the belt is gliding from under the feet they tend to lean forward, choking on the collar instead of running “on their feet”. It takes from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to re-establish new movement patterns.
So I think there is a method behind my madness…LOL
Hello, what kind of fabric or rubber is what unites the madrras where the dog runs?