Welcome to Koehn Training Systems!

Being a former multi-sport athlete and fitness enthusiast, I have been exposed to many training environments and academic settings relating to strength and conditioning. While attending Nebraska Wesleyan University, I received a bachelors of science degree in exercise science in addition to being a member of the football team. After graduation, my passion to more fully understand the human body and how it responds to various training methodologies continued to grow. I left home to pursue a masters degree in exercise physiology at San Diego State University. It was then that I met both Bobby Congalton and Melissa Hinkley, co-founders of 1RM Performance in San Diego. Both acted as tremendous mentors and helped facilitate my learning experience outside the classroom. I now call San Diego home, and 1RM Performance is the gym I do all my one-on-one strength and conditioning and personal training.
In addition to being a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer in San Diego, I’ve more recently developed Koehn Training Systems. KTS was designed to reach more people than possible as a one-on- one personal trainer. Being able to apply my years of experience and education is a very rewarding aspect of being a strength and conditioning coach especially when dealing with clients of various backgrounds and goals. I understand that everyone has different intrinsic motivators to beginning an exercise or training program and KTS’s personalized programs are created with individual goals in mind! My educational background has been a tremendous resource when working with clients, but experience has been the greatest teacher. My clients have ranged from 13 year old kids to 60+ year old adults. They all have one thing in common though, the desire to improve! Helping clients bridge the gap between their current physical, mental and emotional state to where they want to be in the future is the greatest reward of my job.
The journey begins today, but the future holds much more for KTS. In today’s world of social media, it makes it easier to reach others through instagram, twitter, facebook, etc. KTS at its core is designed to put out quality, experience based information and scientific research in an easy to access format. My goal to empower others to lead a heathy lifestyle is at the forefront of the KTS mission. Frequent blog posts, scholarly article references, video tutorials and educational facts are some of the unique aspects of the site that everyone will have access to. I am excited to begin the journey with each and every one of you. Stay tuned for more articles, posts and content in the very near future!
-Blake Koehn: Founder, Head Trainer KTS
Recent Posts

The Oxygen Advantage
While it's clear that breathing is essential for life, far fewer understand how the way we breathe (our breathing mechanics) can significantly influence our overall quality of life. Beyond simply sustaining us, breathing patterns play a critical role in our physical health, mental well-being and both physical and cognitive performance. Controlled by the autonomic nervous system, breathing plays a fundamental role in energy production and is critical for generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that powers nearly every cellular function. From the nasal passages to the alveoli in the lungs, the respiratory system continuously adapts to meet the body’s shifting metabolic demands. In this article, I present a science based overview of oxygen’s role in human physiology, examine the systems responsible for its transport and utilization, and outline evidence based strategies to improve oxygen efficiency and effectiveness to support optimal health and performance.


Understanding Back Pain
A significant percentage of individuals will experience substantial back pain at some point in their lives. While not all acute episodes develop into chronic conditions, even short-term pain can meaningfully disrupt quality of life. In this article, I will provide a comprehensive overview of spinal anatomy, common movement patterns and behaviors that contribute to back pain, and evidence based strategies for prevention, management and relief. I will also explore key considerations for those aiming to avoid injury, recover from back related issues, manage intermittent or persistent pain, or navigate the complexities of pre- and post-operative care. The insights shared are informed by leading experts in pain science, clinicians and researchers who have dedicated their careers to both academic study and real world application.