From Lab to Lift: The Neuromuscular Reality of the Squat

 From Lab to Lift: The Neuromuscular Reality of the Squat

By: Roman Espinosa

Category: Biomechanical Analysis | USF Kinesiology

Theory-to-Practice Gap

In the human performance labs at USF, we dedicate countless hours to talking about Sliding Filament Theory and ATP hydrolysis. But there is one thing that we continue to see over and over again: "Theory-to-Practice Gap." It is easy for a lot of pre-professional athletes to ace their physiology tests, yet not know how to use this knowledge effectively on the weight room floor. This blog will explain to you why your movement happens the way it does.

Motor Drive: The Power Plant of the Lift

Many perceive the squat as a predominantly muscular activity; however, it is, at its core, a neurophysiological process. Prior to the first muscular contraction, there must be an initiation of Motor Unit Recruitment by your Central Nervous System. As per the Henneman's Size Principle, the first group recruited will be the smaller, more fatigue-resistant Type I fibers. To lift heavier weights or perform movements at faster velocities, higher threshold Type II fibers must be recruited.

Important Biomechanical Variables:

Rate Coding: It denotes the rate at which the neural messages are transmitted to the motor units. The more you increase your intent of moving the barbell quickly, the greater your rate coding becomes, enabling you to break through the "sticking point" of your lift, i.e., the transition from eccentric to concentric movement.

Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC): Through proper control of the descent phase, elastic energy is stored in the tendons via Muscle Spindles.

Practical Application: Effective Cues

For maximum Ground Reaction Force (GRF), forget about “standing up.” Rather, envision “pushing the ground away.” This externally focused cue changes the emphasis from internal muscle activation to external environmental interaction, an approach shown by science to foster superior motor learning and force production.

Lab Session Checklist for your Next Session:

Tripod Foot Placement: Spread weight evenly across the heel, first metatarsal, and fifth metatarsal.

Bracing: Create more intra-abdominal pressure for lumbar spine stability as you descend.

Path Alignment: Make sure that the bar moves along a straight path through the middle of the foot.

While it is important to lift heavy as we prepare for our roles as strength coaches and clinicians, our ultimate goal should be learning the physiological “how.” By matching our coaching instructions to the body’s mechanics, we ensure safety and maximize performance potential.

Links to my films

 Finally, after all this time it is done.

Here are the links to my film opening and Creative Critical Reflections

Film Opening: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12ihIK0Aol_HM95D9ZCazay_KN5HuRbLq/view?usp=drive_web

CCR:

Creative Critical Reflection Question 3 - Research

 Question #3

 How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

For this question, I feel like my production skills dramatically improved throughout this project.

Process

I started alone and was completely lost. My teacher provided a guideline for us, but I never had to do anything like this. Immediately I started planning. I knew I wanted to make a suspense/horror movie that was related to law enforcement. I researched, created a storyboard, and casted my film. 

What happened

During filming, it was a bit chaotic. Some obstacles I encountered was waiting till dark to film. Since I wanted to have my film set during night, some actors weren't always available to film. I had to create a group chat and create polls to gather information about when everyone was free to film. Another obstacle I encountered was the editing process. I used Premiere Pro. I used it before but not for 2 minute long films. I also had to incorporate sounds and make my own sounds. I feel like my editing skills improved a lot after this project.

Creative Critical Reflection Question 2 - Research and Script

 For my critical reflection questions, I was thinking of doing something sports related. A possibility would be to do a post-game analysis, where the game would be the two-minute intro.

First Take YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn3nHXu50t5wkud7Iv0LFazfV8dja6dc3&si=VCCuI5FGZMNtWyab

In First Take, the host, Skip Bayless, goes on air and analyzes athletes performances. He gives criticism to athletes, often in a rough manner. I'm not sure criticizing my project would be a good idea right before Cambridge is about to grade it, but I could have an athlete (actor) come on and interview the athlete. I would ask him "How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media test?"

For what my answer would be, I did some writing:

Group meeting 2

Miguel

Yuri: Has mental problem. Yuri gets mad at lead singer and goes back and kills his bandmates. Hit to death with a vase. Ends up getting caught at the end.

Recording in his friends Carlos's house (garage or backyard).

Title: Unplugged

Credits: M & J presents: "unplugged"

CCR: Doesn't have a set idea yet. Sofia suggested a cooking idea

Miguel is filming today and this weekend. Although he did mention it was a little late, the group assured him that he would have enough time to finish filming, editing, and complete his CCR. For his plot, Yuri is the main character in a band and he has mental issues. From what I understood, Yuri gets mad at the lead singer and the rest of the band for kicking him out of the band. Since Yuri has anger issues, he gets mad and kills everyone with a vase, but gets caught at the end. The title is "Unplugged".

Sofia

Sofia was still filming, but she was trying to get ahead of her CCR. She was thinking of doing a cooking POV video, but the group recommended that she do something else because it is not related to media. Eventually, she ended up going with an interview style film where she pauses her movie and explains her process through recording different scenes. 

Roman

I have my filming done, but I needed help with ideas for my CCR. Some group members recommended that I do something government related. I was thinking of doing a podcast. As of now, that is the direction that I am heading in.

Renn

Renn is doing a western-style movie. She has her filming done and she is in the middle of working on editing. For her CCR, she has an idea of going on a bike and recording herself answering questions. For this idea, I think she is on the right approach by moving around and not just staying still, but I think this is a little similar to the talking head. 

Picture

Day 3

 Day Three of Filming

Today I recorded the scene of getting arrested. First, I had to get angles of the cop car used. This was me trying to get the right shot:

I used low angles a lot when filming this scene. This was to show the cop meant business and was a brutal character.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0b6djnd1Pvc4-pIzw8G7R5gKg

For filming today, it was important to keep continuity. That is why I wore the same outfit. It is also important to have the costume design correct. That is why I had my actor dress as a cop. The actor is also a part of the local sheriffs office program and junior rotc. He knew exactly what to do in these situations.

Today we were able to film and get this scene down. Now there is only a couple shots we have to film before editing. 

 Day 2

This day, I started with the dialogue. Before shooting, I realized it was going to be necessary to have a script. After getting the script down, I was able to finally film. 

This day, we filmed the criminal doing a deal with the spy. When the spy leaves the scene to go get "something" from the back, the criminal is taken under arrest and knocked out. 

This is the footage gathered.

The plan was to make the criminal seem like a higher up. This is why we shot it outside with the dim lighting and with the lake in the background.

This weekend, I plan to get more shots in and be near the end of filming so I can begin editing next week.

First Day of Filming

Filming Day 1

 The first day of filming came with its ups and downs. While I was able to shoot a lot of film, there were some problems that arose.

The Rundown

Problems: 

1. By far, the biggest problem was having to clear space in my garage. My family are hoarders. They keep everything and put it somewhere out of sight even if they never use it. We had a lot of stuff in the garage. Bikes, rugs, decorations, trophies, tools/equipment, literally anything you could think of, it would be in my garage. This took a WHILEEE. 

2. My friends are crazy. While filming the project, we had fake weapons. I guess the "fake" part didn't go through their heads, because they took it upon themselves to go Call of Duty mode. To make it worse, my other friends showed up out of nowhere and chaos erupted.

This is the link of the video we shot: https://share.icloud.com/photos/064mVWecN4oP9VbIA1ROb5-VQ

The good stuff:

1. I was very productive. We were able to get a lot of filming done with the two of us. We were able to shoot multiple scenes with the lighting that we wanted.

2. My dad found a powerful flashlight at his work. This worked great for the backlighting we wanted to incorporate. We found a stable and safe way to attach the flashlight to the ceiling, creating the illusion that there was a dim overhead light. This light was focused on the criminal. 

Overall, this was a productive day. I was able to film for a while and get the beginning scenes done. I look forward to film more parts of my movie over the weekend.

Getting the Lighting Right

 Final Planning Before Filming

This week, I begin production. Excited, yet nervous at the same time. This juxtaposition of feelings puts me in a tight spot deciding how I should take care of my lighting. In my storyboard I drew a tall lamp pointing down at the criminal. However, I now realize that this is a bit unpractical due to things like cost and lighting issues. Rather than that, I will opt for a large flashlight that will be aimed at the camera and the criminal's face. I have access to multiple flashlights used in criminal operations because of my dad and my significant other's dad. They both work for law enforcement. My dad works for ATF and my girlfriend's dad is a police officer. 

In the room where I am filming, there is a dim light that still allows people to see while being dark enough to create an ominous mood for my film. It also has a window to the side with I will cover up to make the lighting even darker and make the room seem more claustrophobic.

When the focus is on the interrogator, I want to use back lighting. I want to make the character seem intimidating and large with power. I want to dramatize the scene and add more mystery.

Color Hues

Hues are colors that create an effect for the viewers. I want to have little color to show the cold environment and the toughness of the interrogator. This will elicit some of the emotions out of the viewers. I want the level of saturation to be low.

Other than that, I believe I am ready to start production. I have my mise-en-scene elements ready to go, as well as my setting and my cast.

Props and Costume design

 Costume Design

Since the interrogator works for law enforcement, he should look like he is carrying out a job. How am I going to make this happen? Well, I have a couple props I could use as well as some clothes. I have a face mask, bullet-proof helmet, weighted vest, cargo pants, and FAKE weapons. And with a little help from my dad who works with ATF, I think I was able to come up with a design.

Setting the scene

This is one of the props I want to use. In one of my recent blog posts depicting how Pequenito was going to be portrayed, I mentioned that I wanted him to have a revolver. Since I thought this movie should be more modern, I am choosing to go with a regular hand-held gun.

I plan to hang this on the wall of the room I am filming in. Since the room has multiple ledges and areas to place stuff on, and the criminal is in a government facility, I should set the scene accordingly. 

Reminder: These are all fake weapons!

For my opening credit sequence, I am taking inspiration from the movie Se7en. Their opening scene included notebooks and manila folders with crime records inside of them. I plan to do the same.

Incorporating all of these props shouldn't be tricky. It should be rather easy to incorporate them, so I plan to include them as much as I can. The scene will be set by a table that has a rusted and bloody look to add emersion. All of this will come together to form a cohesive environment.

Set Location

 Considered Spots

It is very important to have a good film location for my opening. Without the right location, the opening may not represent what the director truly wanted to show. Since I live in a suburban area, it is pretty much homes and not that much diversity around here. However, there are a couple spots that I have in mind.

For reference, this is what the area looks like where I live.

As you can see, there aren't any places that scream "scary". That is a problem for my film opening, however I have a couple spots in the back of my head.

The dark room

For my opening scene, I want the criminal to be brought in with a bag over his head and tied up. Dragging him into a garage could work. My garage has a lot of open space and gets pretty dark when the lights are off. There are also areas where I could hang some props.

Flashback Scene

This view of the street could be used to show where the deal took place. The criminal driving away could be a possible shot.

These are just a couple of possibilities of where I can film my opening scene. I really want to create the perfect tense atmosphere for the viewer. I want to spark the feeling of being uneasy and suspense. If I am going to do that, I think filming during the night is necessary, and filming in a dark room is just as important.

Sound

How I Plan to Incorporate Sound

I've been researching on YouTube for sounds that fit well with intense scenes. However, I want to use sound sparingly. I only would like to use background sounds in specific moments, such as when a character stops talking for a moment. Dialogue between the criminal and the interrogator will be the what the viewers will hear the most. Although I don't want to use sound that much, I still want to use some suspenseful sound elements.

Possible sound clips

Some possible sound clips I have found are: 

I want to use this leading up to a chaotic event. This could be a great way to build suspense. For example, when things are getting heated, the interrogator may do something to the criminal.

This soundtrack is from a game I used to play when I was younger called Plague Inc. The game is about creating a disease and infecting the disease to the whole world. I am really intrigued by this soundtrack. It is low in pitch and frequency. Since I don't plan to have background music playing at high volume in my scene, I think this soundtrack could be perfect. It gives off the feeling of "something bad is going to happen."  Having this play behind the two characters speaking could build tension even greater than it already is between the two characters.

Like I said before, I don't want there to be background music every time the characters stop talking. In some shots, I plan to enhance the silence. Sitting in silence is another way to build tension. The lack of sound makes the whole scene feel uneasy to viewers. This is especially important for doing any horror/suspense movie as these genres are the most reliant on sound.

Other sounds 

For any sound of movement, I want that to stand out. I will do this through editing. How do I plan to edit? I plan to edit using Adobe Acrobat Pro. My school board offers the pro version of adobe editor for free. I want to use this platform because I am already familiar with it as my class worked with it for a project earlier in the year. I find it easy to add soundtracks and add sound effects wherever I want to. 

Pequeñito (Carmelo)

How I made my character

I know that my character needed an alias that he goes by, but he also needed a real name. I researched male Hispanic names and came across a website that listed 689 names. On the fourth page a name stood out to me: Carmelo. Although the meaning had nothing to do with it, I was familiar with this name because of my childhood. I am a fan of the New York Knicks, and Carmelo Anthony was an all-star in 2013. Most people link the name Carmelo to Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks.

Why Pequeñito?

Pequeñito translates to "little one" in English. Since this criminal isn't a leader and is a weak link, he will be easy to decipher and get something out of. He is also called that name because he isn't respected in his community.

Pequeñito's Identity

For my characters identity, I went for what most people would think a cartel member would look like. In my opening scene, Carmelo would be shown in brutal condition, as seen by his ripped and bloody jeans. The revolver is also an important piece of Carmelo's identity. That is the weapon of choice for most active violent members today. It is also one of the most iconic weapons used in the region. Since he is a criminal and often gets himself into trouble, he also has a pocket knife readily available. Additionally, the gray truck is also used by many cartels to form blockades, and they are often seen using these kinds of vehicles. Lasty, the sombrero is meant to show he is of Latino descent. Most cartel members are depicted to be Hispanic, with pants, usually jeans, and with dangerous weapons. Pequeñito fits this description very well.

Media Theory

Plot

Storyboard

 This is my storyboard

Group meeting

Group Meeting #1

Hello! For the start of week three, my teacher put the class into groups so we could discuss about our project ideas. I was in a group with Simona, Emi, Sofia, and Isabel. The point of the meetings were to gather feedback from our peers.

Simona started with her project. She seemed to have most of her plan already. However, she was still deciding where to fit in dialogue, and the environment in which she was going to film. She has all her blogs posted and they focus on analysis and the reflection of her choices. Although she had a great idea and was headed in the right direction, we were still able to give her feedback. Also, is one of her blogs she already incorporated a media theory, the Active Audience Theory. The group also suggested it would be important to have diegetic audio, such as the sound of a shovel digging up grass.

Then, Emi shared her story of a western-style film opening about a cowboy that has a bounty. She already had the title "Death Is No Friend." Due to the surrounding environment where we live, we were skeptical how she was going to make a western-style opening. Western movies are typically shot in a desert, but in south Florida, grassland is everywhere. However, she was able to find a close spot to film that had the same style, but with a modern touch. It was also important to have the right color for the film. If she is going for an old-fashion western film, she may choose black and white. But if she wants to make it modern, she could film at sunset to make the film have a yellow hue. Additionally, her costume design ideas were very complex. We were surprised to hear that her group member was going to make the costume. The group gave her some ideas about what she could possibly include in her costume design. This could be a more modern-style western outfit:

I shared my idea next, and although I wasn't clearly sure which direction to be headed in, after the group's suggestions, I now know what I can do. I knew that I wanted to do an interrogation scene, but I didn't make a script yet. They recommended that I make a script ASAP. Also, they gave me some ideas for the plot. For example, Simona said that I could add a flashback to explain how the character got into the situation that he did. For my plot, I planned to have a criminal be interrogated by a CIA agent, who would use methods of getting him to admit what happened during an investigation. The group discussed that it was really important for me to get the lighting perfect as well. Without the key lighting, it would mess up the mood of the scene. After discussing with the group, I feel a lot more confident about my project.

Isabel went up next. Her opening scene was about a serial killer. The group was impressed about how she was going to do her opening credits. She got inspired from the movie "Se7en". Honestly, this is one of the best opening credit sequences I have seen. For her set and costume design, it was important to get the lighting down and get the costume design right. For her costume design, we recommended scrubs that a doctor would wear, as well as white gloves. Other than that, her project seemed already developed.

Last was Sofia. She was doing a dystopian film. For me, the story was a bit unclear how it was going to work. She wanted to base her movie off of "Divergent" and "The Maze Runner" by having society revolve around who has power. In her film, she wanted two girls, and one would be given the power. While making a dystopian film, it is necessary to film in the right environment. A farmland looking environment, dry and barren, would be great. The costume design was also important. The girls could have damaged clothes with stains on them. She was torn between doing a futuristic-style dystopian film or a film set in the present. We recommended that she should do a film set in the present. 

During this meeting, everyone got great feedback from our peers. It was nice being able to communicate and listen to other people. This helped me gain an understanding for where my project is right now and what I should be doing.

 Creating a Schedule

Time management is going to be important as I get into the later part of this project. When filming starts, everything is going to be hectic, so it is imperative that I stay on pace.

Schedule

    1. Research:

• I will research different film openings to brainstorm and get inspiration for my opening.
• I will research different film credit sequences to brainstorm and get inspiration for my own credit sequence.

    2. Developing the Plot/Planning

• I will develop the plot and write the script for the movie.
• Have all my music and sound assets ready to use.
• Finish the storyboard
• Choose set location and actors

    3. Production/Editing

• Film scenes
• Edit

    4. CCR

• Reflect on blog posts and decisions and why I made those decisions.

At the time I am writing this, I have 6 weeks to complete the project. I want to have some cushion if things go array, so I want to have at least a week of cushion.

Timeline

Week 1 (2/10-2/16)

• Research
• Plan
• Blog Posts

Week 2 (2/17-2/23)

• Research
• Develop plot
• Blog posts

Week 3 (2/24-3/2)

• Finish plot
• Finish storyboard
• Blog posts
• Decide film location and crew

Week 4 (3/3-3/9) 

• Film scenes
• Edit scenes
• Include foley sounds

Week 5 (3/10-3/16)

• Finish editing if needed
• CCR
• Reflect on decisions and review

Week 6  (3/17-3/25)

• Cushion
• Review final Creative Critical Reflection

I am going to do my best to stick to this timeline and if I encounter any setbacks, I will know what I have to do to bounce back.

Film Credit Sequences

 Creating a Credit Sequence

I've had this idea for a while now. I will have the credits in blood. Blood that was drawn from a gunshot. I believe this is a good idea because it will leave a weird feeling for the viewers. Seeing people's names in blood.

Movie Credit Sequences

The Shining's opening credits are iconic. The view of the mountains provide a calming feeling, although the steady yet shakiness of the camera, in addition with the ominous background music create this uneasy feeling. The sound is the most important part of this sequence; it makes the whole scene what it is. Stanley Kubrick is known for incorporating some crazy scenes in his movies to mess with the audiences.

Another great credit sequence is from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1973). As the end scene of Leatherface swinging his chainsaw into the air, the screen cuts black and the credits begin. I really like the vintage look used on the credit sequence, although that may just be because it was 1973 and quality wasn't as well developed. I want my credits to look grainy and for them to have character, and instead of having just a black screen, I can incorporate some scenery from the set.

After researching, I want my credit sequence to be seamless, like a perfect ending to an incredible scene. I believe these two movies do this flawlessly. I plan to incorporate elements from both sequences into my credit sequence.

Film Openings Studies

 Film Studies

Content

For this post, I want to go over the story for each film.

It is a story in the summer of 1989, when a group of kids unite because of their traumatizing encounters with an evil clown. Together, the kids are determined to kill the clown. In the opening scene, Pennywise bites a kid's arm off and drags him into a street gutter that leads into the sewer. What is the most memorable thing that happened in this scene? It killed a kid. And because of the mini-series in 1990, many older viewers, now adults, sympathize with this scene. 

IT (2017)

For my opening scene, I originally wanted to go with a horror scene, but that was just too generic for me. I want my opening scene to leave a bite. Like this scene. I want it to have horror elements, but not follow a horror story. Specifically, I want my story to be crime related, following drug cartels and other significant terrorists attacks. Although this isn't an interrogation scene, the horror aspect of it is really well done. 

The filter over the camera adds to the mood of the scene. The grayer, monotone colors work in unison with the thunderstorm to create a darker mood. This sets the tone for the whole movie. A huge aspect of the movie is about the characters mourning the little brother that Pennywise killed. I would like to incorporate a filter like this to give the sensation of a more serious tone. This develops character and the plot for the rest of the movie.

Sinister (2012)

The way this movie starts off is crazy!! Immediately the movie gets into the action with 5 kills, and again this scene killed off a couple children. For my scene, I think I have an idea to kill off a character at the end. With a bullet rather than a tree. Because of the crime aspect I want to have, I think it should be in a police station or another area that would normally have access to such weapons. Also, the old, grainy filter used on the scene is a great touch again. This is definitely a must add to my opening.

Halloween (1978)

Halloween is another influential horror movie, as seen from its seemingly endless sequels and spin-offs. When Michael murdered his sister, it left a taste in people's mouths. All of these three films had kids as their main character. I believe that is such an important part about making a film memorable. In my scene, I plan to have a teenager and an adult together, and the adult influencing the teenager in some way.

Main Takeaway

I definitely have found inspiration for my film opening. By studying some film openings and researching what they do well, I have come up with some ideas of what I could do. I have decided that I will focus on more suspense elements rather than jump scares. I want my scene to give the viewer chills. I think that having a kid be affected in the opening will invoke that feeling.