We recently added a power cage to the clinic.

It’s not for decoration. It’s because a big part of what I do in practice – and what I genuinely believe in – is helping people move better and load more. Not just treating pain, but making sure people can keep doing the things they want to do for the long haul.

And when it comes to doing that effectively, the big compound lifts – squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press – are hard to beat.

Why compound lifts matter more than you might think

There’s a common belief that lifting heavy is something you do when you’re young, fit, and at low risk of injury. That it’s a phase, or a sport, or something to be phased out as you get older.

The research says the opposite.

Compound strength training – movements that load multiple joints and muscle groups together – is one of the most well-supported interventions we have for long-term musculoskeletal health. It builds bone density, maintains muscle mass, improves joint stability, and reduces the risk of injury across just about every tissue type.

It also happens to be excellent for your spine, hips, and knees – when done correctly and loaded progressively.

The bone density conversation nobody is having

If you’re a woman in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, bone density probably isn’t front of mind. But it should be on the radar – because the groundwork you lay now matters enormously later.

Bone responds to mechanical load. It’s called Wolff’s Law – bone remodels and strengthens in response to the forces placed on it. When you squat or deadlift, you’re generating significant axial load through the spine, hips, and legs. That load is exactly the kind of stimulus bone tissue needs to maintain its density.

Osteopenia (low bone density, one step before osteoporosis) affects roughly 1 in 3 women over 50 in Australia. The window where you have the most influence over that trajectory is now – not after a diagnosis.

Running, walking, and yoga are great. But none of them load the spine and hips the way compound lifting does. If bone density is a goal, the barbell is genuinely your friend.

“But aren’t deadlifts bad for your back?”

This is probably the most common thing I hear. And I understand where it comes from – lower back pain is common, and the deadlift looks like exactly the kind of movement you’d want to avoid if your back is sensitive.

But here’s what the evidence actually shows: the deadlift, performed with good technique and appropriate load, places less spinal compression than many everyday activities like picking something up from the floor in a hurry or sitting in a flexed posture for hours at a time.

More importantly, a properly progressed deadlift programme builds the posterior chain strength – glutes, hamstrings, spinal erectors – that protects the lower back from injury in the first place.

The problem is rarely the lift itself. It’s loading too fast, skipping the technique work, or trying to go from zero to heavy without building the base first.

What about lifting as you get older?

Age is not a contraindication to strength training. It’s one of the strongest arguments for it.

Muscle mass peaks in your 30s and declines by roughly 3 to 5 per cent per decade after that if you don’t actively maintain it. This isn’t just about how you look – loss of muscle mass is directly associated with increased fracture risk, falls, reduced functional independence, and worse outcomes from illness and surgery.

The good news is that muscle is remarkably responsive to training stimulus at any age. Studies consistently show meaningful gains in strength and muscle mass in people well into their 60s, 70s, and beyond – when load is appropriate and progression is sensible.

The goal isn’t to compete. It’s to stay robust.

Load management is the key

The most important principle in any strength programme is progressive overload – gradually increasing demand over time to drive adaptation. Too much too soon is where most injuries happen. Not the lift, not the weight, but the rate of change.

If you haven’t squatted or deadlifted before, the starting point isn’t a barbell – it’s bodyweight movement patterns, building the hip hinge and squat pattern first, then adding load incrementally. A few weeks of that foundation work changes everything.

If you’re coming back from an injury or have an existing issue – a disc problem, hip pain, knee sensitivity – that’s not a reason to avoid lifting. It’s a reason to be thoughtful about where you start and how you progress.

Where chiropractic fits in

A significant part of what I do in clinic is helping people build capacity to load – whether that’s getting back into sport, returning to the gym after an injury, or starting a strength programme for the first time.

That involves assessing how joints are moving, identifying any restrictions or compensations that are likely to cause problems under load, and building a plan that supports rather than undermines your training goals.

Sometimes that means hands-on work to address stiffness or pain. Sometimes it means specific exercises to address weak links in the chain. Often it means working alongside the coach or trainer you’re already working with.

The power cage in the clinic is there so I can watch how people move under load, not just in an assessment setting. It’s practical, and it makes a difference.

Where to start

If you’re curious about getting into strength training, or you’ve been lifting for a while and want to make sure what you’re doing is serving your body well, come in for a chat. We can look at where you’re at, what your goals are, and build a plan that makes sense.

And if your lower back has been stopping you from deadlifting, that’s exactly the kind of problem we can work through together.

📍 21 Agars St, Paddington
📞 0404 717 488
chiropracticmoves.com.au

Dr. Michael O'Doherty

Hi, I’m Michael; Chiropractor, Dad, science enthusiast, active weightlifter and keen sportsman. I work with busy and active people who are struggling with pain to find relief from their symptoms so that they can return to an active lifestyle, get through their work day and their workouts without having to pop a pill so that they can feel happier and healthier in their body.