STAR STATS
COVER STORY
IRON MAN: How important was fitness for you growing up? Brandan Fokken: I came from a really tough background. I moved around a lot, we didn’ t have any money, etc. So for me, fitness was a way to belong, to fit in and to make friends. Along with that, due to my upbringing, from an early age I equated muscles to not being hurt, which was attractive to me because I was put through a lot. I looked up to Superman, Arnold and Hulk Hogan. They were all big and strong and in my mind couldn’ t be hurt. So I wanted to be just like them.
HEIGHT: 6’ 1 WEIGHT: 215 pounds AGE: 37 LIVES: Sioux Falls, SD PROFESSION: Wellness Director of POET, Owner of Fokken Strong Training, Sponsored Athlete, IFBB Pro SPONSORS: Dymatize, Team Bodybuilding. com Athlete, Icon Meals, Smart Shake, P28 Foods, Fitmark Bags WEBSITE: www. BrandanFokken. com FACEBOOK: www. facebook. com / BrandanFokkenFitness INSTAGRAM: @ brandanfokken YOUTUBE: www. youtube. com / user / brandanfokken TWITTER: @ brandanfokken
IM: Tell us about your journey into bodybuilding competitions. BF: I started weight training at the age of 14. I was tall and skinny and not strong whatsoever. Over the years I slowly improved and, by my 20s, I was really pushing big weights and physically was about as muscular as I could get. I, however, knew very little about diet and or competing. At the age of 30 a friend of mine who was a coach and longtime competitor talked me into doing my first show. I didn’ t have a clue what I was doing, but took the things he told me and implemented it into my plan. I ended up competing and loved it and have been hooked on the lifestyle ever since.
IM: How important is giving back to the community for you? BF: It’ s huge and a big part of who I am. I say that positivity and good karma are cousins. The more positive you are, the more good karma comes back into your life. I believe that if you are able to help, you should. So, between working with many charities, speaking at school or corporations, bringing awareness to various institutions, mentoring and always looking for different ways to give back, I feel that I am paying back from an industry that has given me so much. As I mentioned, I didn’ t grow up with much and now that I am where I am at in my life, I want to help others do good in our community, find their own“ great-
28 AUGUST 2017 | ironmanmagazine. com