Homeschool Athlete Adds 20 Pounds of Muscle, Takes Game to New Level
Aubrey Ayers is a homeschool basketball player that has big goals on the court.
“I’m hoping to play college basketball. Where, I’m not sure,” Aubrey said. “I’m hoping for a D1 offer, that’s my main goal. That doesn’t mean I have to go DI, it’s just my goal of if I can get there I would love that.”
To reach that lofty goal, Aubrey knows there is a lot of hard work in front of her.
It began in the spring of 2023, after her freshman basketball season ended, she decided to get stronger.
“I had a goal that summer to put on 20 pounds of muscle,” Aubrey said. “After the season I was like, ‘alright, this summer, this is what I’m doing.’”
Her neighbor suggested PowerStrength and she gave it a try.
“I walked in and I was like, ‘I want to go here.’ I did the first session with Derek (Ehnis, General Manager at PowerStrength Jenison). He made sure I felt super comfortable here and it was really nice. I liked the music and everything just going on here,” Aubrey said.
REACHING HER GOALS
She knew right away that PowerStrength was a place that she could reach her goals.
“I came here and figured out okay, I can do that here. This is a place where I can figure that out,” Aubrey said. “I just decided it’s time to get better. So It kind of just clicked and I got really motivated.”
Adding 20 pounds of muscle in one summer is not easy, especially for someone like Aubrey.
“20 pounds, I was little,” Aubrey said.
Most kids Aubrey’s age have a high school weight room at their disposal to train. Being homeschooled, she does not have that option. Prior to PowerStrength, she was doing it herself.
“I trained at home and did my own things, I would just follow YouTube videos,” Aubrey said. “But it never really raised my athleticism. I got a little bit stronger and I could tell, but coming here you can tell you’re faster, you can jump higher. You’re stronger all around, and more confident.”
EATING A LOT
Training makes it happen, but not without the proper nutrition.
“I ate a lot,” Aubrey said. “I would work out a lot, I worked out every day, I would do a lot of lunges and stuff at home, but I was eating consistently, like every three hours I had to eat. Derek told me I have to eat a lot of healthy food, and I was like ‘alright, I just gotta keep eating,’ so that’s what I did and over time I was able to put on that muscle.”
The trainers at PowerStrength are experts in nutrition, not just what to eat, but when to eat.
“I asked a few people, I guess I just picked their brains on what I should eat before my workout? What should I eat afterwards? They gave me guidance on when to eat, what to eat, and how much,” Aubrey said. “They told me after a later session that I gotta go home and have a shake, gotta have your toast with peanut butter. I got home and I was like, ‘Oh man, I don’t know if I can do this,’ but after I did it was just like alright, I can reach my goals this way so that’s what I did.”
ON COURT RESULTS
Aubrey plays for the West Michigan Hornets, a collection of homeschool students from all over West Michigan. She noticed a difference in her play very soon after starting at PowerStrength.
“During summer, I remember one of our first practices I was like ‘my word, I can get so many more rebounds now.’ Just little things like that, I can run faster, I’m more confident on the court, I can body people more. I never was able to do any of that before PowerStrength,” Aubrey said.
While shooting had long been a strength for Aubrey, the added muscle has made her a complete player as she helped lead her team to the National Finals.
“I have found that after I put muscle on I am a hundred percent more confident driving to the basket. So now I am not only a shooter, I can also dive confidently.”
“Just being stronger. That makes me 100% more confident driving, because before PowerStrength I’d get in there and I’d get pushed around. Now I’m the one who can push people around and that makes a huge difference.”
IN-SEASON TRAINING
Aubrey continued to train at PowerStrength when the basketball season started. Sessions are offered later in the evening to accommodate athletes that have practice. The ability to continue to train allows athletes to prevent losing the progress that they have made.
“Honestly, I wish I would have trained more here during this season, but I think I will for sure do more next season. If I would have stayed consistently going here I don’t think I would have been as sore and I would have just been able to stay strong.”
BALANCING AMBITIONS
At PowerStrength, Aubrey is surrounded by expert coaches who not only help her become a better athlete but also mentor her in the field of personal training, a profession she is considering studying.
“They have a lot of knowledge,” Aubrey said. “I like to pick their brains every once in a while just because I’m interested in it. I’ll ask him about nutrition, I’ll ask them about the exercises and do I go slower on this part and faster on that and they have a lot of knowledge and wisdom and that’s helped for sure. And they are definitely motivating you all the time, encouraging you. And that’s, I think one of the biggest things is that you come here and you know you’re gonna get better. You know they’re not gonna let you slack off. They’re gonna push you to do the best that you can be.”
A HEALTHY OPTION
PowerStrength focused training is second to none when it comes to helping high school athletes level up.
“Huge. I would recommend it to anyone,” Aubrey said. “I know we have some dumbbells and stuff at home, but this is totally different. I was working out at home but I never was able to put on mass until I came here and it’s made a huge difference.”
PowerStrength is launching one-of-a-kind program designed specifically for homeschool students ages 8-18. It starts in September and is designed for better health, better focus, and more confidence. All ability levels are welcome, it is beginner friendly and no fitness or training experience is required.
Physical education requirements for homeschool students vary, but Aubrey believes that strength training can benefit homeschool kids even if they are not involved in sports.
(*Homeschool parents or students interested in this Homeschool-only program can email Derek Ehnis, Derek@powerstrengthpro.com, for details and sign-up information)
“I think it’s great,” Aubrey said. “I mean, even if you’re not an athlete, getting in the gym and just being active for this hour is huge for them. From before I came here, it’s made me realize that I am athletic, for the things that we’ve done I would not do at home, just all the different training drills and exercises that we do here. I think it’ll make a huge difference.”
GET STARTED AT POWERSTRENGTH
5th-12th grade athletes of all sports and abilities can sign-up at PowerStrength at any time throughout the year – while spots remain. PowerStrength currently has 4 facilities in West Michigan – Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, and Plainfield – with a 5th facility in Holland coming in late fall 2024!
Multiple training sessions are offered throughout the day and into the evening during the summer, specific training times vary by location.
Visit https://powerstrengthpro.com/athletes to learn more or click below to schedule your assessment and get started.