Trench Lab · Strength & Speed · Coach Jay Freeman
The best lifts for linemen
The best lifts for linemen build hip and leg power that transfers to the field: squats (front and back), deadlifts and trap-bar deadlifts, power cleans and hang cleans for explosion, plus heavy rows, presses, and dedicated grip work. Train the lower body and the hips hard — the trenches are won from the ground up, so explosive power off the floor beats a big bench every time.
By Coach Jay Freeman · 32 years coaching the line · Updated May 31, 2026
Train from the ground up
Trench power comes from the floor through the hips. The foundation of a lineman's program is heavy lower-body work: back squats and front squats for leg strength and a strong, upright torso; deadlifts and trap-bar deadlifts for total-body pulling power and a strong posterior chain. These build the base you fire off the ball with.
Explosion beats max strength
A lineman doesn't need to be the strongest guy in the weight room — he needs to be the most explosive off the ball. Power cleans, hang cleans, and jump variations teach you to apply force fast, which is exactly what a get-off is. Add medicine-ball throws and box jumps to train rate of force development. The kid who can move a heavy bar *quickly* wins the snap.
Don't skip grip, pulling, and the neck
Hand-fighting is won with grip and pulling strength: heavy rows, pull-ups, farmer's carries, and direct grip work (towel pull-ups, plate pinches) build the hands that lock out and shed. Pressing strength (bench, overhead, incline) matters for the punch, but it's the support cast, not the star. And train the neck and traps — it's armor for the position.
Common questions
- What are the best exercises for offensive linemen?
- Squats (front and back), deadlifts and trap-bar deadlifts, and power/hang cleans for explosion form the core, supported by heavy rows, presses, farmer's carries, and direct grip work. Lower-body and hip power that fires off the ball matters more than a big bench.
- Should linemen train for max strength or explosiveness?
- Explosiveness. A lineman wins the rep by applying force fast off the snap, not by grinding out a one-rep max. Power cleans, jumps, and med-ball throws train rate of force development — the strength that actually shows up in a get-off.