Women Strong 2019: Brooke Erickson

Meet Brooke

Brooke Erickson is an NASM-certified personal training and nutrition specialist, creator of Strong for Her and a lifelong athlete. The mother of three girls (ages 15, 12 and 10) spent more than a decade battling with anorexia and poor body image, and her weight swung from as much as 185 pounds to as little as 85 pounds. In 2008, Erickson beat her disease and discovered her love for the gym and weightlifting. She earned her IFBB pro card in Figure in 2011, and as much as she loved competing, helping others became her priority. Her biggest goal is to motivate and inspire others to believe that change is possible.

Follow Brooke

Facebook | Instagram | Strong for Her Instagram 

What It Means to Be a Strong Woman

Brooke’s Favorite Supplement

Dymatize ISO100 Clear RTD. “Protein plays such an important role in building and maintaining muscle, and consuming enough protein via food is almost impossible for me,” Brooke says. “The ISO100 also contains leucine, which is crucial for protein synthesis and metabolic function.”

Brooke’s Glute Workout

Brooke’s Pumpkin Spice Froyo Recipe

“I love to keep things simple with my recipes and this is the perfect sweet treat that I can whip up at the end of the day,” she says. “It also helps me to get my remaining protein in, which can be a struggle on a higher protein nutritional protocol.”

Ingredients

1 can pumpkin 

1 cup plain Greek yogurt 

1/2 scoop Dymatize Vanilla Iso 100 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 packet non-calorie sweetener

Instructions

Blend on low until smooth. Place in freezer until cold enough to scoop. Top with non-fat cool whip.

Brooke’s Baked Chicken Dressing Dish Recipe

“I’m always looking for ways to create meals in the kitchen that I know my kids will eat and it doesn’t require a huge list of ingredients,” Brooke says. “I like to always have a staple in the freezer that I can easily grill or bake and chicken is a staple food that my entire family enjoys. This recipe is flexible in that additional ingredients can be added or exchanged for additional flavors that are more pleasing to those that are eating it!”

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken

Mix:

8oz reduced fat sour cream

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions:

Place chicken breast into baking pan and evenly spread dressing over chicken. Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Optional: serve over egg noodles.

Brooke’s Summer-Ready Tips

Brooke’s Favorite Workout Playlists

“I listen to two completely different types of music for when I am lifting and when I am mountain biking. When I am lifting, I want to feel more intensity and music plays a role in creating that environment. When I am mountain biking, I want to stay focused in my cadence, which requires more consistency in my playlist. These are two entirely different types of training that require two entirely different types of mental toughness.”

“When I am on my mountain bike, I want to maintain my pace for a long duration, that usually involves the slow grind of gaining elevation. Consistent music helps me pace my breath. When I am in the gym, I allow my alter ego to come to the surface and I listen to music I would never listen to in the car or when I am cleaning my house… it’s strictly ‘alter ego’ music.”