well maybe look at the standpoint of how do you help your joints recover.
deca and EQ are well known for increasing collagen synthesis which means joint recovery. GH also heals joints. age plays a factor, the older you are the longer it takes to heal joints.
generally what i have heard is that extremely heavy training to failure, over the course of years can take a toll on your joints. i have trained this way my whole life with no problems, i am in my mid 30's. who knows whats in store for me years down the road though?
maybe the older guys can post and give their experience
I'm an older guy, lifting for almost 20 years. Knee joints trouble me the most. And from my personal experience - heavy weight and low volume wears the joints much less than higher volume / less weight...
For instance, I can do a heavy 1rm squat (after warm-ups) and my knees won't bother me at all, and on the other hand if I do Tabatha's on the elipticall (which is much less force, but more of it), my knees are shot...
So, my vote is definately heavy weights / less reps / less overall volume...