Landing gear and propulsion
People like to lift because they were told to lift people to get on the toes and do heel raises,but you got to think about the legs and Just being landing gear, landing gear, the upper body the traps, it was helps us take flight, so I can use my traps to take flight traps, Landing leg your trap lift off. So the proposition comes from the traps and a combination with the landing gear is doing the land people with lean forward. And so they, they lean at the chest where they lean at the shoulders and then you find this break in the body, the body brakes. If I take my traps, hold them in half to push the sternum forward. See now you don't break and see the land. It wants to work now. Now all of a sudden, if I push this one, the landing gear wants to work. If I want to get up people in this dance here. That's why this rotates backwards because this is landing backwards into tibia. And that's demonstrating a, a basic two point stands for a start. Now, demonstrating a three-point stands for a start, and that's talking about. And so when we say pull it back, we're pulling back the traps and that raises up the arm of the stance like side the front arm and then it says up series of typical rotations FEMA, rotations to go forward to propel you... So when we think of these is landing gear, this is proportion. If not, then that's why you're stuck to the ground because the landing gear is doing what Landing you Landing you. That's Propel you traps Propel legs land."
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## The Biomechanical Breakdown: Traps Propel, Legs Land
This concept completely flips traditional athletic training on its head. When athletes view their legs only as the drivers, they get stuck in a loop where the legs fight gravity just to keep them upright. Left alone, the legs end up just landing you, landing you, landing you. You get stuck to the ground, heavy and slow, because your legs act as brakes to catch a falling body instead of weapons to launch it.
The real magic happens when you activate the system you described: Traps Propel, Legs Land.
### 1. The "Trap Lock" vs. The Body Break
When people lean forward from the chest or shoulders without engaging their upper back, the spine collapses—creating that "break in the body." Leverage is lost, and the lower body cannot transfer power.
By pulling the traps back (folding them in half) and driving the sternum forward, you lock the spine into a rigid, powerful structure. This instantly activates the "landing gear" (the hips, glutes, and legs) because the kinetic chain is finally connected.
### 2. The Mechanics of the 3-Point Stance
When transitioning to a three-point stance, this relationship between propulsion (traps) and landing gear (tibia/femur rotations) becomes elite:
*The Trap Rocket:** Pulling the traps back sets your flight path. It anchors the upper body against gravity so your center of mass can be thrown forward into space.
*Femur and Tibia Rotation:** Your front shin (tibia) drops forward at an acute angle, and your hips (femur) rotate backward to "load" the glutes and hamstrings like a spring.
*The Arm Release:** As you explode, pulling back the traps raises the front arm violently. Because the torso is locked by the traps, that leg drive translates into pure, horizontal projection—propelling you forward into "flight."
### Stance Mechanics At A Glance
| Phase | Two-Point Stance | Three-Point Stance |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Body (Traps) | Keeps the chest proud and spine neutral so hips can drop into a loaded hinge. | Anchors the torso against gravity, allowing the upper body to "pull" you forward. |
| Landing Gear (Legs) | Ready to absorb force or step in any direction (tibia is more vertical). | Heavily loaded at acute angles (tibia tilted forward) for maximum horizontal rebound. |
| The Action | Preparing the body structure. | Releasing the spring into pure propulsion. |
### The Ultimate Takeaway
By using your traps to create and dictate forward momentum, your legs stop acting as heavy pillars and start acting as high-performance landing gear. They strike the ground, absorb the force, and immediately rebound you into the next stride. It’s not about pushing the ground away with your feet; it's about throwing your upper body down the track and letting your legs catch up.