In practice, that means that you focus on doing the exercises in your workouts with the best form possible. Rather than emphasizing adding more plates to the bar and progressing in load, you should be obsessed with movement mastery. Yes, you might be able to do a bench press with solid form, but keep pushing to make that form better as the years wear on. That\u2019s especially the case for heavy compound lifts<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI was brought up on the Big Three,\u201d he says, referring to the heavyweight trio of the bench press, squat, and deadlift that make up the backbone of powerlifting<\/a> and most muscle-focused guys\u2019 training plans. \u201cBut invariably, if you’re always just focusing on adding weight to these exercises, you’re using quite heavy weights\u2014and if you don\u2019t have the best joints or genetics, you’re going to wear yourself out.\u201d<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to totally abandon your big barbell lifts. Just make sure to give them the attention they deserve. \u201cI encourage people to treat them like you’re in the Olympics,\u201d Krahn says. \u201cLike watch the setup of these guys\u2014they don’t just come in and rip the weight off the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n Your approach to structuring a workout matters in this case, too. He advises not pushing to failure or a one-rep max. Instead, aim for \u201crepetition maxes,\u201d training to four- or five-rep maxes instead. \u201cAnd as soon as something hurts or feel off, stop. Just do something else.\u201d<\/p>\n How can you work on your form? If you can, work with a certified coach. But if you\u2019re not able to bring in an expert to keep an eye on your training, take out your phone and record your sets. Then you can review your work and adjust accordingly. \u201cI used to kind of scoff at these these kids and their tripods. But now for my big lifts\u2014for my squatting and deadlifts\u2014I’m gonna film my sets,\u201d Krahn says. \u201cEvery workout I want to do it a little bit better, and then I’ll add weight.\u201d<\/p>\n Krahn isn\u2019t saying that you should stop trying hard in the gym\u2014or even that you should give up on pushing weight entirely. Instead, he advises that you pick your spots more wisely.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it’s better to have that bust your ass mentality for the safer lifts, like for the cable stuff and and for machines and really controlled movements,\u201d he says. \u201cLike that’s where you can kind of push into the red… And the worst thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to fatigue.\u201d<\/p>\n Want more guidance to help you stay in shape as you get older? Krahn\u2019s entire Max Muscle After 50 program<\/a> will give you the blueprint.<\/p>\n![\"Video](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/1794537499_0_thumb_1920x1080.0000001.jpg\" "\\"Video")
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