That doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop chasing gains. Just look at Bryan Krahn, the 53-year-old coach and creator of the Men's Health Max Muscle at 50 program. Krahn is still 210 pounds and jacked—but he acknowledges that maintaining his physique in this decade of life has required some training adjustments.
For example, Krahn says his biggest priority now is to avoid getting hurt. Since dealing with a shoulder injury, Krahn has shifted to using machines to provide more controlled movements and safe resistance. The goal is to execute the movement well to engage the target muscle.
That doesn’t mean you should train with less focus when you’re older. Instead, train within your known limits. Take your known limits and subtract 10 percent of the weight.
Exercise physiologist and strength coach Dr. Pat Davidson notes training heavy is very movement-specific and individual-specific. At 46, eight to 15 reps of hack squats are a sweet spot in building muscle and minimizing injury for Davidson compared with five heavy hack squats.
Meanwhile, he goes harder on press exercises. Krahn, Davidson, and MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., debunk further misconceptions about exercise after 50 in the episode. They also discuss the two muscle-building supplements that work (and what doesn’t), and the absolute minimum Krahn does daily for movement and food.
Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men's Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she's not working, she's doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.
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