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Relentless Pursuit: How Bateman Packed on 40 Pounds to Power His Dream
In a small town where Friday night lights are more about community than glory, Luke Bateman is writing his own story of grit and determination. With the dream of playing college football firmly in his sights, Luke has transformed himself into a powerhouse athlete, driven by one unshakable goal: to be great.
“My ultimate goal is just to play college football,” Luke said.
As a sophomore in high school, Luke isn’t letting anything stand in his way. This past off-season, he packed on over 40 pounds of muscle, transforming himself from average to excellent on the field. His secret? Relentless work ethic and training at PowerStrength Training Systems.
“I wanted to put on a lot of size for football and a lot of speed, which I did,” Luke said.
“PowerStrength to me is sort of advanced level,” Luke’s dad, Dave Bateman said. “You’ve got trainers who know and have a passion for training young athletes, a lot of kids don’t get that in school.”
FITTING IN QUICKLY
He ovecame some early trepidation and became an integrall part of the fabric of the athlete group at our Kentwood facility.
“I was a little nervous, just because I was younger,” Luke said about starting at PoweStrength in the spring of his 8th grade year. “And all these other guys I saw were just huge and strong. I feel like I’ve just gotten more confident and the coaches are great and they make you feel right at home.”
UPPING HIS GAME
That hunger for improvement is evident in every part of his routine. During the off-season, while other athletes might have relaxed, Luke was laser-focused on gaining weight, increasing strength, and sharpening his skills. His training regimen wasn’t just about lifting heavier – it was about becoming more explosive and agile. That is why he joined PowerStrength’s most advanced training program, Premier. It provided the perfect environment for him to push his limits.
“It was a whole different level,” Luke said about Premier. “Coming here is a big step for me, but then Premier is just the next level. You’re just getting huge, and the hydration, and nutrition is next level. “
That holistic approach allowed Luke to reach one of his big goals through the Premier program.
“Yeah, more than happy. My goal was to be 200 (pounds) and I met that. I was 200 at the end of Premier, so that was good.”
Premier is designed to put serious athletes with others that are like-minded, pushing each other to reach new heights.
“They say, iron sharpens iron,” Luke said. “So a lot of these guys who are bigger than me, it helps me, I’m very competitive, and so trying to compete with them helps me. I help him, and he helps me. So we just go back and forth, friendly competition with each other, and that’s very good.”
“I like the accountability and the shared dedication,” Dave said. “The athletes all want to be better and they have a mindset that yesterday was tough, but I’m going to make tomorrow even tougher. When you have a group of like-minded people, they push each other.”
By the end of the off-season, the results were clear. Luke had transformed his body, adding solid muscle, while becoming faster and more explosive. This newfound strength wasn’t just for show – it translated directly to the field, where his improved power and conditioning made him a force to be reckoned with.
“I’ve already seen I’ve gotten faster since last season and during football,” Luke shared. “Just throwing routes with my receivers, I’ve gotten a lot stronger. I could throw a lot farther and throw harder and faster.”
LEADING THE WAY
Not only is Luke training hard for himself, but he’s also stepped up as a leader for his school’s athletes. Taking what he’s learned from PowerStrength, Luke has brought that same intensity and discipline into the weight room at Saranac Highl School, helping others improve their performance as well. As one of the stronger players on the team, Luke has become a role model, showing that with the right attitude and work ethic, anything is possible, even in a small-town environment where resources can sometimes be limited.
“After coming here, I’ve seen all the guys here that pushed me and helped me,” Luke said. “So I figure I can take that back to my school and help my guys. That’ll be huge.”
CONFIDENCE BOOST
Luke’s ability to transform as an athlete in the gym has completely transformed not just his physical game, but also his mental approach.
“I’ve become way more confident than I was before, because I was kind of nervous at first and now, just coming here, I know that I’m getting bigger and stronger and faster, just more confident for football,” Luke said.
“I have seen my son’s self esteem grow dramatically,” Dave said. “He is more confident because he knows how to do the correct weights, he’s leading kids on the football field, part of that is because of PowerStrength, the knowledge that he has gotten here. He knows that if he has a question he can reach out to any of the trainers, they are all good, and we enjoy that.”
This newfound strength and athleticism have been crucial for his position as a quarterback. With this added confidence, Luke now makes quicker, more decisive reads on the field, a skill that’s vital for leading his team and reacting to fast-paced situations.
“Just my confidence and just thinking through and getting smarter and with confidence, you just think smarter.”
The combination of physical improvement and mental sharpness has elevated his performance, making him a far more effective and poised quarterback.
“He’s faster at the position that he plays at quarterback, he makes split second decisions, and he knows that right or wrong he needs to make a decision and I like that when it comes to throwing the ball or handing it off,” Dave said. “I have also seen leadership on the field, his teammates look up to him because they know he has put the work in in the off-season and during the season and that is pretty commendable.”
Formely a pass-first quarterback, Luke feels like he has upgraded himself to dual threat thanks to his work in the gym for the last year and a half.
“Before PowerStrength, I was more of a passing quarterback because I wasn’t as fast and as mobile,” he said. “Now I’m I’m faster and more mobile.”
COMPLACENCY KILLS
Luke is not slowing down. He knows that the road to college football won’t be easy, but with the foundation he’s built both in the gym and on the field, he’s confident that he’s prepared for whatever challenges come his way.
That includes back in the spring when he suffered a lower body injury during the track season. Instead of sitting back, doing nothing, and waiting to heal, Luke was at PowerStrength 2-3 times a week working on what he could with his limitations.
“The day after my injury, I figured there’s no excuse why I have to stop training. There’s no reason that I can’t train upper body. My lower body is injured, not my upper body, and I don’t want to lose all the muscle I’ve put on so I just plan to keep training, and hopefully I don’t lose too much and heal faster.”
“Just to play at the next level, is really what I’m striving towards, and just because I’m injured isn’t an excuse to not get better.”
INVESTING IN EXCELLENCE
Luke’s commitment to training goes beyond just hard work in the gym, it also involves his parents driving him 30 minutes one-way to PowerStrength, a trip their willing to make because of the incredible results they’ve seen. They have invested significantly in Luke’s training knowing that the high-quality coaching and training at PowerStrength are worth every penny. For them, the return on investment is clear. Luke’s transformation, both physically and mentally, has exceeded their expectations.
“It is worth it,” Dave said. “The best thing I can give to my kids is not money, it’s not cars, it’s not anything other than my time. I feel like as a parent we are lucky enough to have the opportunity to have my son come here and we wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
GET STARTED AT POWERSTRENGTH
4th-12th grade athletes of all sports and abilities can sign up at PowerStrength at any time while spots remain. Choose the PowerStrength location most convenient for you – Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, Holland and Plainfield.
Visit https://powerstrengthpro.com/athlete/contact/ to learn more or click below to schedule your assessment and get started.
