Two strength-building exercises that every football player should be doing

A good mix of weightlifting and field training is key for football players during the offseason.

With summer approaching its midway point, football camps are essentially right around the corner. Every state high school athletic association has a different date on which teams can officially practice together, and it's usually against league rules to have coaches run practices before that time. However, when practices do commence, coaches will be expecting their players to be in great condition and will be pretty upset with anyone who is out of shape.

There are a lot of different types of workouts that football players should do during the offseason, but depending on the athlete's position, there are some areas that should receive more focus than others. Ultimately, however, overall strength is something that every football player needs to prioritize.

Deadlifts should be a part of every football player's workout regimen. Many exercises help athletes build strength in one or a couple different muscles, but deadlifts involve nearly the entire body by working the hamstrings, calves, back, hips and glutes, to name a few. Additionally, deadlifts give players power and explosiveness, both of which are crucial for every position except for maybe quarterback.

There may not be a more overlooked, yet incredibly useful exercise than rows. In addition to solidifying a number of muscles in the shoulders and back that can be injured very easily, rows give athletes a great cardio workout as well. Remember to keep a straight back and good form, which can be much more difficult than you'd think.

While getting plenty of gym time in is important during the offseason, athletes shouldn't be in there everyday. An ideal training schedule would have athletes alternating workouts in the weight room and outdoors on the field with football training equipment.

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