Meet Jakob Barlow – Hybrid Athlete and Coach Who Thrives on Challenge
From marathons to HYROX and everything in between, Jakob thrives on testing limits — physically, mentally, and as a coach.
He’s all about growth, alignment, and helping others become stronger inside and outside the gym.
Hey, I'm Jakob
My journey in sport hasn’t always been about chasing numbers. From an early age, it’s been about testing limits, building resilience, and becoming the kind of person who shows up no matter what. From marathons and HYROX competitions to strength training and endurance events, I’ve thrown myself into challenges that demand both physical toughness and mental discipline. Each one has shaped me — not just as an athlete, but as a coach.
Through Barlow Coaching, I’ve been able to turn that passion into something much greater. What started as a personal pursuit of growth has become a community where people from all walks of life come together to align their training, nutrition, mindset, and lifestyle. Some of my proudest moments aren’t my own race finishes or milestones, but seeing clients become healthier, stronger, and more empowered than ever. That’s why I coach.
Partnering with Bulk Nutrients has been a natural fit. Just as I focus on alignment in training, their products give my athletes and me the fuel and recovery tools we need to perform, adapt, and keep raising the bar.
At the heart of everything I do is a simple belief: with the right guidance, the right environment, and the right people around you, you can always become more.
My Bulk Recommendations
Hydration Salts
Why I love it: They’re simple, effective, and genuinely enjoyable to drink. With the training load I put myself through — running, strength, HYROX — hydration isn’t optional, it’s essential. Water alone doesn’t cut it, so replacing electrolytes is key for sharpness, recovery, and backing up session after session. The raspberry flavour is light, clean, and easy to sip, and I feel the difference every time. Good hydration is one of the easiest ways to gain an edge — and these salts make it effortless.
How I use it: I usually have it by itself with a glass of cold water, or pre-mixed with Sportsfuel 101 (Berry) or Preworkout 101 (Berry).
Whey Protein Concentrate
Why I love it: Training across multiple disciplines means recovery windows are short, so quality protein is essential. WPC delivers fast, reliable support for muscle repair and helps me keep progressing. The Vanilla Maple flavour is smooth, easy to mix, and consistently helps me hit my protein goals — that’s why it’s always part of my routine.
How I use it: I usually have it with oats, peanut butter, and dates — or added to Greek yoghurt with mixed berries and honey.
Creatine Monohydrate
Why I love it: Whether I’m chasing speed on the track, grinding through HYROX prep, or pushing heavy lifts in the gym, Creatine Monohydrate is the backbone of my performance. It supports strength, power, and repeated efforts — exactly what my training demands. What I like most is its simplicity. It’s pure, effective, and unflavoured, so it mixes easily into shakes or water without changing the taste.
How I use it: I usually mix it into smoothies, cooked oats, or a Greek yoghurt bowl.
SportsFuel 101
Why I love it: With a mix of carbs, electrolytes, and key nutrients, Sportsfuel 101 gives me exactly what I need to power long runs, intense HYROX prep, or back-to-back training days without crashing. The formula is straightforward and effective — it keeps glycogen topped up, replaces what’s lost through sweat, and helps me recover faster between sessions. I like that it’s easy to sip during or after training, mixes well, and never feels heavy.
How I use it: I usually just mix this one with water.
ZMA Powder
Why I love it: With the amount of training I put my body through — early mornings, late sessions, and heavy double days — quality sleep is where the real progress happens. ZMA Powder helps me wind down, sleep deeper, and wake up feeling recharged instead of run down. I notice a big difference in my readiness, mood, and ability to back up for another big session when it’s part of my nightly routine.
How I use it: I mix it into a shot of water before bed.
Jakob's Approach to Nutrition
For me, food is one of the biggest drivers of performance, recovery, and consistency. The way I eat mirrors the way I train — structured, purposeful, and aligned with my goals, but flexible enough to fit real life.
I take a whole foods first approach. Most of my meals are built around quality protein like beef, chicken, kangaroo, or fish, paired with nutrient-dense carbs such as rice, oats, potatoes, or sourdough. I always include plenty of vegetables and fruit for health, energy, and micronutrients, with healthy fats from nuts, olive oil, or avocado. I usually keep meals to 3–4 ingredients, which keeps things straightforward and makes it easy to stay consistent.
A week of eating for me tends to follow a similar rhythm. Breakfast might be eggs and beef mince on sourdough, or oats with WPC protein powder and peanut butter, depending on the day. Lunch is usually a protein and carb base — like kangaroo mince with sweet potato and sauerkraut. My pre-workout snack before a strength session is rice cakes, banana, honey, and a pinch of salt (GOATED).
Before a high-intensity workout, I’ll go for quick carbs with SportsFuel 101 (Berry flavour, of course). After training, I’ll have a shake with WPC, creatine, and some carbs for recovery. Dinner is usually a bigger meal, such as steak with potatoes and vegetables. I like to prioritise and load up main meals while minimising snacking throughout the day.
I adjust portions based on training demands — higher carbs on endurance-heavy weeks, lighter on rest days. I never restrict to the point of hurting recovery. For me, food is about alignment and making sure what I eat supports the work I put in and the person I want to become.
Average Daily Calorie Intake: 3000.
Are there foods you avoid? Why? Anything ultra-processed. It doesn’t support my health or training, and my body doesn’t respond well to it.
Are there foods you crave? Honestly, none. Since dialling in my nutrition and covering all key nutrients, cravings have basically disappeared.
What's your go-to cheat meal? If anything, it’d be mango sticky rice — if you know, you know.
My Day on a Plate
The order of my meals changes depending on my training schedule, but a typical day looks like this:
Meal 1
2 slices of sourdough, 3 eggs (scrambled), 200g lean beef mince, 1 fried banana.
Meal 2
80g oats, choc peanut WPC, creatine, 20g peanut butter, 20g sultanas.
Meal 3
SportsFuel 101, 4 rice cakes, 1 banana, 20g honey, pinch of salt.
Meal 4
200g kangaroo mince, 400g sweet potato, 150g broccoli, 30g spinach, 20g walnuts.
Meal 5
250g Greek yoghurt, 30g WPC (Vanilla Maple), 100g mixed berries, 1 kiwi fruit, 10g honey.
Weekly Workout Plan
Here’s what a typical training week looks like for me:
Monday – Upper Strength + Zone 2 Run/Ride
I like starting the week with upper-body strength work to set the tone. Movements like bench press, pull-ups, and overhead pressing build pushing and pulling power that directly transfers to HYROX movements like sled pushes and carries.
Most of the lifts are done for 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps, focusing on quality over volume. I’ll also complete a steady Zone 2 run or ride (around 40 minutes at an easy aerobic pace) to build aerobic capacity without taxing recovery.
Tuesday – Intervals + HYROX Workout
Tuesday is all about speed and intensity. I’ll do my interval session as either a run or ride (for example, 8 x 800m with 90 seconds rest at 3:25–3:30/km pace) to build running economy and resilience under fatigue.
I also do a HYROX-specific workout at my local gym, which usually includes a mix of ergs (rower, ski, bike) and functional movements like wall balls, burpees, and carries — replicating race intensity while keeping training varied and competitive.
Wednesday – Lower Strength
Lower-body strength is the foundation of everything I do. Heavy squats, Romanian deadlifts, lunges, and split squats are staples, each performed for 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps to develop strength, power, stability, and durability for running and hybrid events.
Thursday – Tempo Session + HYROX Workout
A big aerobic builder. I’ll do my tempo running or cycling session (for example, 3 x 8 minutes at ~3:45/km, with 4 minutes at ~4:45/km) to improve threshold and mental resilience.
I’ll also complete my second HYROX class for the week, again combining ergs with functional stations.
Friday – Upper Strength
Friday brings me back to upper-body training, focusing on strength endurance and balance between pushing and pulling. Bench press, rows, pull-ups, dips, and accessory movements are staples, all performed for 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps.
Saturday – Lower Body + Arms
Saturday is dedicated to lower-body strength and arm hypertrophy (I can’t escape the bodybuilder embedded within me). I focus on squats, hip thrusts, and deadlifts for the lower body, paired with curls, dips, and pushdowns for arms.
Each exercise is performed for 2–3 sets of 6–8 reps to build strength and muscle endurance — key for running, HYROX, and strength events.
Sunday – Long Run
Sunday is my key aerobic day. I head out for a long run, usually 18–25km at a steady Zone 2 pace. This builds endurance, mental resilience, and time on feet — all essential for hybrid performance.
Latest Results
Do you have any medium/long term goals you're working towards?
I’ve got a few big goals on the horizon — from endurance events like the Great Wall of China Marathon, a 100km ultra, and an Ironman, to qualifying for the HYROX World Championships. My training and performance are constantly evolving as I keep pushing my limits and chasing growth.
Ultimately, the goal is simple: to keep putting myself in challenging environments and events that force me to level up.
Have you had any exceptional results (in competitions or otherwise) in the last few years? Let us know what they are!
- 58:43 – Pro Men’s Doubles HYROX (Perth)
- 2 × Sub-4-Hour Marathons (Untrained)
- 50km Ultra marathon
- 3:08 Melbourne Midnight Marathon
Each race teaches me something new — about performance, mindset, and the importance of consistency. For me, every finish line is just the starting point for the next challenge.
