Norm Morrison Mar 10, 2023 3:04:45 PM 5 min read

Slatted Treadmills, Cushioning, and the True Stryker

We've talked about treadmill cushioning before, and how it really works. And it's very easy to understand treadmill cushioning if you understand how running shoes and walking shoes are built. Because there's been so much research done there that translates perfectly.

We also talked before about the difference between commercial and residential equipment. And since treadmills are so much of the industry, there's a reason that ConnectFit has high quality and high value treadmills below $2,000 as well as heavy duty commercial treadmills that cost well over $10,000.2023-01-31T14_56_45_735 nag
 
 
But a lot of people conflate what makes a commercial treadmill expensive with the cushioning systems. And while nobody, or no manufacturer at least, will admit that they're cushioning system is good for some things and not for others, it is definitely the truth that because cushioning and belts and decks are wear items, often some of the best cushioning systems are actually found in high-end residential machines.
 
But one of the myths I have to work with often is that slatted treadmills have good cushioning. And frankly most of them don't. Treadmills with belts and decks allow for the manufacturer to put some kind of grommet or elastomer underneath the deck where they want it to give. And better treadmills use a forward cushioning, that allows the deck to give more at the point of impact and then stabilize in the middle of the deck, and have no give at all on the push-off. That's how nearly all running shoes are built as well, with the ability to absorb impact in one area and then translate to a stable surface.
 
Slatted treadmills were originally built to reduce friction. When a belt moves over a deck on a regular treadmill, it creates friction and given time, it wears the deck and belt, and the treadmill pulls a lot more power.
 
A slatted treadmill, by contrast, has a track with bearings attached to the slats. Because there is no belt and deck, there's a lot less friction, a lot less power draw, and a lot less need for a replacement. Slatted treadmills are excellent for durability.
 
But until recently, people were assuming that because they were so expensive they were also the best for cushioning. But, since the cushion is built into the slat, you always get the same amount of cushion at strike zone as the center post and as the push-off. Basically, the treadmill equivalent of running in boat shoes. If you *did* build a slat with a lot of cushioning in that slat, it would also lead to a lack of stability and a lack of energy off your push-off.
 
However, the True Striker treadmill has an ingenious system that has the proper amount of give in the slats, but also has a forward cushioning built in as well, a unique design that allows them to get the best of both worlds, the superb durability of a slanted treadmill with the forward cushion that all running shoes show that we should have.
Header3R1A0886-1800x1181

If you want to learn more about the True Stryker, let us know, and we'll be happy to help!

avatar

Norm Morrison

Norm has a long history of building partnerships between Health and Wellness companies and meshing technology creators with manufacturers and vendors. He helped build the largest fitness equipment dealership from the ground up and has worked with nearly all of the major manufacturers in the industry. The top brands in the market come to him for advice about developing and improving their product. Norm has helped dozens of companies bring products to market and has an inside track on what’s new and what’s next in both the legacy and connected fitness industries.

COMMENTS