After Years of Dedication, Fortino Prepares for College Football
The majority of young football players dream of two big goals – win a high school football state championship and earn the opportunity to play in college.
Drew Fortino achieved both after winning a state championship with Forest Hills Central and committing to the roster at Kalamazoo College.
A dream from childhood, Drew really got to work just 3 short years ago.
Drew has always lived a complacency kills lifestyle, so as a freshman in high school, he realized that if he was going to get where he wanted to be, he needed every benefit that he could get.
“I wanted to go to someplace to train for football instead of just going and lifting at the Y,” Drew said. “I asked my dad if I could go to a few places to train, so I tried PowerStrength out and a few other places and I decided I wanted to come here (PowerStrength). After the first evaluation day I knew I wanted to come here. There is a different energy here than at other places.”
Drew is a leader both at PowerStrength as well as at his high school workouts. At PSTS, he has been able to take advantage of the small groups, specific programming and drills, and expert coaching that PowerStrength provides to take his game to another level.
“You do more stuff here than in the weight room there (at school) because there is more space and there is turf you can run around,” Drew said, comparing PowerStrength to school workouts. “We would only lift, we did agility a little bit, but we would usually do metcon (metabolic conditioning) workouts and actual lifting. This is more running around, using the turf, doing sprints, speed stuff. Here it is more on field stuff with the cleats, running around working, more mobility workouts, and explosiveness. (At school) there is also explosive stuff, but there is less space.”
Drew has been a perfect fit at PowerStrength since day 1. His work ethic, dedication, and ability to lead from the front have yielded him tremendous success. He came to PowerStrength to improve as a football player. Not only did he help Forest Hills Central win the school’s first state championship last fall, but he has earned the chance to play at the next level.
“I’ve definitely felt more athletic and more in control of my body,” Drew said. “You can see a lot of difference over the years. Watching my freshman year football film, even my sophomore year football film I just look a lot more comfortable, I got faster, I was able to perform better at combines than I did my freshman year. From freshman year to now, there is a huge difference.”
SECRET TO SUCCESS
Drew needed to gain weight when he first arrived at PSTS and was able to use all the tools provided to make it happen. It was about more than just lifting heavy weights at PowerStrength, he learned what to eat, how much to eat, as well as the importance of hydration and recovery.
“When I first came here I was 135-140 pounds and 3 years later I am 195 close to 200 pounds so I have definitely seen results,” Drew said. “They teach you about nutrition and how to train and recover well. It is not just lift as much as you can, it is mobility stuff too, it gets you right.”
PowerStrength’s comprehensive approach to performance training fit perfectly for Drew. The coaches at PSTS are experts in their field, possessing the understanding of how to get the best results from their athletes – even around their busy schedules and commitments. That, combined with Drew’s consistency, led to quick improvements.
“I think I gained 15 pounds in the first month or two that I got here,” Drew said. “It was all because I would come here after practice and I would go home and I would eat a lot more than I used to and I started seeing results. The coaches and the trainers are great here, they know what they are doing, they know what they are talking about. If you have any questions you can go to them and ask because they know what you are doing, they will definitely help you, and get you to that level.”
Nutrition and recovery are frequently underestimated elements in the realm of strength training and weight gain among athletes, particularly among high school athletes who are just starting out. This oversight can pose a significant learning curve, hindering their progress. However, PowerStrength recognizes the paramount importance of these variables and has honed them to perfection. By prioritizing tailored nutrition plans and implementing effective recovery strategies, PowerStrength ensures that athletes receive the essential fuel and rest necessary for optimal growth and performance. This meticulous attention to detail is a cornerstone of success, leading to remarkable results for countless athletes who train at PowerStrength.
“When I first learned about it I didn’t realize how much your diet and your nutrition plays a huge factor,” Drew said. “You could lift everyday hard, go home and eat nothing, and see barely any results. Eating, eating right, eating a lot if you are trying to gain weight and get stronger, that is one of the biggest factors.”
CONSISTENCY WHILE PLAYING MULTIPLE SPORTS
Football has always been Drew’s number one sport, but he has dabbled in a few others during the spring. This year he joined the 2-time defending state champion boys lacrosse team at FHC. Despite his inexperience in the sport, Drew has taken on an important role with the team. One that PowerStrength has prepared him for.
“The position I play, D Mid (Defensive Midfielder) it is kind of like basketball defense, just stay in front of them and force them down the side,” Drew said. “You have to be super athletic and well conditioned to do that, I can stop on a dime and I think PowerStrength has had a huge part of developing my athleticism, and my explosiveness where I can still stay on a guy, stop whenever, but also be fast while doing that so I am not being too careful, I can just go go go.”
Drew uses the summer and winter months to train. Prior to lacrosse, he played baseball and even a year of track and field, but always found ways to get in the gym during the season to prevent falling behind.
PowerStrength offers in-season training options for high school athletes. Session times are created specifically for athletes who are playing a sport, and exercises tailored to practice and game schedules.
“They have in-season training so they listen when I tell them I have a game tomorrow so I need my legs, or when I played baseball if I had to pitch the next day,” Drew said. “They give you your workout based on what your season schedule is looking like and if you have a game the next day or if you have no games for the weekend and they can go harder on your legs. I’ll come in and say I just got here from practice, I am already warmed up, I’ll get a lift in, no games this week, I will just lift like normal. I would go to practice, come here right afterwards and they would give me my workout based on what I’m doing in lacrosse and how hard practice was that day, and they will definitely find something for you to do so you’re still getting a really good lift in and you are getting something out of it, but you are also saving your legs, or saving your body for your sport.”
COLLEGE PREPARATION
Drew understands the importance of consistency in the gym as he prepares for his debut on the college gridiron at Kalamazoo College later this summer. With its renowned track record in molding hundreds of local athletes for the collegiate sports level, PowerStrength has become an indispensable tool in Drew’s training arsenal.
“PowerStrength has emphasized eating a lot especially for football,” Drew said. “I need to stay fast, but gain weight. You can see there is a huge nutrition (board), so they are always on me about eating a lot, sleeping well so I can grow and get stronger, faster and prepare for college football. I definitely think that it’s a huge difference playing 17-18-year-olds and 21-22-year-olds next year, that will take some getting used to and I think that lifting here at PowerStrength is going to be a huge summer for me if I stay consistent here.”
There is a lot of uncertainty as a freshman athlete arriving on a college campus. After years of work, training and nutrition are areas that Drew will be confident in as he starts his career at the next level.
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 has 4 facilities in West Michigan – Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, and Plainfield.
Multiple training sessions are offered after school and into the evening, specific training times vary by location.
Visit https://powerstrengthpro.com/athletes to learn more or click below to schedule your assessment and get started