Well, I did go to the gym today. I ended up causing some of the same pain as I did before. I tried a different approach to squats, using a.. well I don’t even know what the contraption is called. I think it is called the Leverage Calf/Squat machine or something like that. It is pictured here on the left. I somehow thought that this would ease the stress on my back. However, it seemed to place even more stress on my lower back than actual barbell squats. I certainly don’t think it did near as good a job working my legs and butt as doing squats.

The motion of the machine is un-natural. It causes undue stress on the back rather than the legs. It has been several hours since my workout, and I can already tell that I am going to have pains of a slight injury, rather than soreness of muscles.

I have to find a way to get the benefits of working all these large muscles in my legs and butt. I have been learning that working these large muscle groups at one time is extremely beneficial to weight loss and muscle gains.

My back is becoming a real challenge. The effects of degenerative disc disease are proving to be somewhat debilitating. Sometimes I fear I will not be able to walk when I get older. As I’ve said many times before, aging is not for cowards.

I will continue to workout and try to figure out ways to work around my injuries. I aim to stay as healthy as possible and avoid a wheelchair as long as I possibly can.