A workout warrior who can lift weight most won't even try, Washington Redskins defensive lineman Stephen Paea's keys to strength include proper form and getting a lot of rest during the offseason.

Time and time again, defensive lineman Stephen Paea has proven to be one of the top performing NFL players in the weight room.

In 2011, he set a combine record for most reps on the bench press (49 reps of 225 pounds) and several other videos on YouTube show him lifting weight that few others would even try.

As the Redskins wrap up their first week of Phase 1 offseason workouts, which feature just strength and conditioning drills, Paea has once again shown he's ready to conquer any task set in front of him in the weight room.

But, while heavy lifts are never an issue for him, Paea knows form is key in progress.

"If you don't have the right skills and the right fundamentals as far as being a football player, because obviously you're trying to help get to the ball carrier – running back or ball carrier – you won't beat your blocker," Paea said of weight room work. "That's what you have with [strength and conditioning] Coach [Mike] Clark down there helping us a lot with pass rush. The stuff that we're doing in the weight room…it applies on the field."

Clark and Paea – both of whom were with the Chicago Bears the last two years – reunited in Washington once the Oregon State product put his signature on a new contract.

Paea said that Clark was once of the reasons he's seen his numbers improve over the last few seasons and believes he'll continue to be beneficial as he looks to excel in his fifth NFL season.

But as he looks to continue to grow under the longtime professional coach's tutelage, Paea's also learned that rest "is the most important thing," especially during the next few months.  

"You don't have that much time to rest throughout the year because when April starts and you go to OTAs and minicamp and all that, you don't have much time to rest," Paea said in March. "It's how fast your body can recover. I think that's the most important thing for an athlete because you can train your body as many times as you can, but recover to be able to train hard again, that is the most important thing."

Excitement Continues To BuildEver since he signed with the Redskins, Paea's been around Redskins Park almost daily as he acclimates himself to a new organization.

While he met some of his new teammates and coaches in the weeks following his signing, Phase 1 of offseason workouts has given him an opportunity to learn more about his coworkers and go more in-depth with expectations.

In meetings with defensive coordinator Joe Berry, the coach has provided a message that Paea's already buying into.

"These guys are all talking about competing, talking about being physical and finishing," he said. "I love being physical. I love the fact that he's trying to preach competition, trying to finish at the ball, finish whatever we do."

RELATED LINKS:
-- FedEx Tracking: Defensive Line Additions
-- Raised In Tonga, Stephen Paea Had Sheltered Lifestyle

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