Final answer:
The concept of active insufficiency pertains to the inability of a muscle to generate sufficient force when too contracted, but it is commonly associated with flexor muscles. The triceps brachii muscle extends the forearm, and if contracted, it would move the arm by extending at the elbow, pushing away from the body. The biceps contraction, which flexes the arm, would likely be an isotonic contraction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term active insufficiency refers to the reduced ability of a muscle to produce force when it is overly shortened. In the context of the triceps brachii, which is the muscle that extends the forearm, active insufficiency would occur if the triceps brachii were so shortened that it couldn't generate adequate force to fully extend the elbow. However, the question seems to mistakenly ask for the position of active insufficiency of the triceps brachii, which is a situation more typically associated with muscles that flex a joint, such as the biceps.
When the biceps brachii, a two-headed muscle that is involved in the flexion of the forearm, contracts, it pulls the forearm closer to the upper arm, resulting in elbow flexion. During this action, the triceps brachii is relaxed to allow movement. The type of contraction involved in lifting an object with the biceps brachii is likely an isotonic contraction, because the muscle changes length, decreasing as the biceps bring the forearm up.
Contrarily, if the triceps were to contract, they would facilitate the movement of the arm in the opposite direction, extending the elbow and moving the forearm away from the upper arm. The triceps generate the motion needed to push, throw, or place an object by straightening the elbow.