READY, WILLING, AND ABLE

Part A-THE LINK BETWEEN EFFORT AND TORQUE

Torque is the mobile influence of a force against a lever per moment of its excursion around an axis. It is the source of leverage we use to gain a mechanical advantage against the forces that resist our efforts associated with the ability to prevail.

There are two sources of torque to consider with regard to every physical act. They are (1) the torque of (our) effort to produce enough muscular force, called tension, to transcend (2) the torque of the force acting against us (our levers), called resistance. Our ability to grasp the advantage is determined by which source has more net torque to produce the rotatory motion, unless there is a stalemate, where mobility becomes inert.

Ability is often misinterpreted because of its complexity. Although it alone is quite ambiguous, there are more confusing influences that contribute to an accurate appraisal. The physical state is accompanied by mental and psychological conditions as well.

Will is the psychological condition and exists in stages of volition, determination, and resolve. Of course, these factors, as well as the thought, concentration, and awareness of consciousness, pertain to ability, and are an integral part of every involuntary task we encounter. However, regarding physical ability, a voluntary (counter-intuitive) emphasis of conscious effort needs to be placed (specifically) on an awareness of how the body is functioning i.e. how well it is operating on the inside, to perform the task.

TORQUE OF PHYSICAL EFFORT  

Muscular contraction is crucial to effort because it is from where we acquire the force to fulfill a task against the torque of resistance opposing us (from gravity, air, water, surfaces etc.), and since muscles pull against bones, their force is called tension. Our bones are typically considered to be the levers that our muscles torque, mostly because they have an apparent mass, but the actual lever of this system, as will be explained later, does not contain mass, making it mysteriously imperceptible. There are instances where the actual lever arm is consistent with the length of bone mass, but others where it is actually on a more oblique path.

Muscles reach across their bones at various distances, converging and diverging to cause joint mobility (depending on the joint position and direction of the resistance torque). This variability is referred to as Length Tension. However, muscle lengths are not the only anatomical factors that vary.

While one end of a muscle attaches proximal to the place where bones connect to form a joint, the other end attaches further away. The proximal attachment is referred to as its origin, and the distal attachment, the insertion. This implies that, from the onset of its development, muscle tissue emerges from somewhere on one bone of a joint, and terminates across the axis onto another. However, sometimes, the emerging fibers cross joints at the proximal and distal ends. The contact surfaces where the two bones form the joint have inverse shapes i.e. one is convex and the other, concave.

The joints’ axis is located on the bone with the convex shape around which the bones rotate, but, unlike a mechanical axis, it does not remain in the same spot. The axis of a mechanical lever causes or enables the rotation. Then, the radius of the lever remains the same i.e. tangential, as it moves. But, unlike their mechanical counterparts, the surfaces of anatomical joints are irregular, so if an anatomical axis remains in place, it is liable to lose its pivot point i.e. become acute or obtuse rather than tangential to its contact surface, disrupting the rotation.

Contrarily, since our joints must rotate to facilitate mobility, and since rotation requires a tangential radius, the position of the axis actually shifts with each moment of the joint’s arc to remain perpendicular to its irregular surfaces. This incident is referred to as the “instantaneous axis of rotation” (and, incidentally, why the safety of Elliptical Cardio Machines is dubious).

The tension of muscle contraction complies with the convergence of the microfilaments of its cells (myofibrils) that contain the contractile proteins described in the Sliding Filament Model, where the actin proteins converge from both ends inward across their myosin protein counterpart.

Joint mobility occurs when the tension is transmitted from the muscles’ tendons to the bones of its joint. Typically, one bone of the joint is restrained (1) by its relative mass (compared to its counterpart), (2) by other internal bone mass, or (3) by some other external restraint, causing the less dense or unrestrained bone to rotate on the axis. There are also instances where both bones move simultaneously on each other. Joint mobility is considered to be inverse (inverse joint mobility) when the bone with the axis is unrestrained (and moves on the concave partner) or when both bones of the joint become mobile.

However, regardless of what is moving (or not), tension is always pulling on the muscles’ bones from its opposing ends inward, towards its center. Also, the path of tension from the attachment site of the mobile bone to its axis represents the anatomical lever against which the muscles’ tension is transmitted. The distance of this transmission is the actual, although seemingly imperceptible, “lever arm”.

Due to the irregular shapes of joint surfaces, the inevitable changes in the angle of pull (force angle) creates forces between the contact surfaces of the muscle’s joint (joint forces) as it rotates. These are compression, distraction, and shear.

Also, (and for the practical purposes of this article, more significantly), the perpendicular radius that can be measured from the linear path of the tension to its axis as the tension travels over it indicates the magnitude of contractile force; the strength of the muscles’ contraction i.e. how much torque exists at that moment of the joints’ excursion i.e. it’s influence to mobilize its lever arm around the axis a.k.a. its leverage.

The instantaneous distance of this torque-line (moment of torque/radius of torque) is referred to as the muscle’s moment arm (of strength), or distance of momentary torque, because out of all angular sight line possibilities, it is the one and only perpendicular distance from a joints’ axis to its muscles’ path of tension that exists at the particular moment we are examining the joint’s position. This distance of torque varies with changes in length tension and the fiber length responsible for the mobility.

The greater the distance from the path of tension to the axis, the greater the magnitude of influence at that particular moment of the joints excursion. In this sense, the line of torque is its leverage. The greater the moment arm, the bigger the “crow bar” for us to use to mobilize the body, and because it is “for us to use”, this leverage factor represents our physical ability i.e. how much physical effort we possess at a particular moment, but, that does not mean all of the effort will be utilized.

There is still a psychological factor of will. It isn’t uncommon to pursue a physical act without an awareness of how much (physical) effort it will require, but it also isn’t unusual to pursue it with no comprehension of how much determination and resolve are required either.

When awareness in magnitude of either physical or psychological effort (or both) is remiss, we are typically unwittingly ill-prepared for the possibilities of the inconspicuous short or long term hazards. In these precarious situations, even when it contradicts our deepest, instinctive suspicions, we tend to permit our intensions to supersede our sensibilities.

In this sense, when we take the unprepared leap, we choose to act with the immaturity of children, and, “Just Do It”. Preparation certainly tempers impulsiveness, but, especially when it is induced appropriately, it is also laborious, and often seems unrelated to the goal specific task. Just like a piece of candy, achievement is a sweet reward that preparation postpones, so it isn’t unreasonable to accede that we choose to ignore it (for the treat). The problem is, like candy, the short term benefit of this ignorance often leads to long term harm.

In another sense, our impetus and self-efficacy (belief) to act, plus the desire to achieve, can overcome our physical inabilities, like “mind over matter” tactics used for successful sports performance. In these instances, we prevail at all costs, without recognizing the potential harm, and without knowing what kind of physical preparation would be necessary to avoid it, anyway. Simply stated, we may be ready to act psychologically, but often, not so much, physically.   

Also, regarding the physical aspects of effort, since leverage can only exist in the presence of tension, and is only perceptible, one moment (at a time) of the joints’ range, there are other factors to consider prior to those of the psychology, to truly be ready.