Built by someone
who kept seeing
the same problem.
Too many newly qualified PTs arriving on the gym floor with certificates and no idea what to do. Edinburgh PT Academy was built to fix that — through real coaching, every single Saturday.
The man behind
the academy
22 years ago, James McKeen started coaching in Edinburgh. In that time he trained under Paul McIlroy — Amazing 12 — as part of his first graduating cohort, and has assessed and mentored 65+ fitness professionals across the city.
But the thing that stuck with him wasn't the credentials. It was the number of newly qualified PTs who arrived on the gym floor and had absolutely no idea what to do.
Completely unprepared.
They'd done online modules. They'd passed written assessments. Nobody had ever put them in front of a real person and said — now coach them.
So James built Edinburgh PT Academy. Not a course factory. Not an online qualification with one practical day bolted on. A small, in-person academy where every student gets coached, assessed, corrected, and pushed — every single Saturday — by someone personally invested in whether they're ready.
That's still the model. That's not changing.
What 22 years
looks like
Not a list for vanity. Every credential below directly shapes what you learn and how James teaches — because he's been in the rooms where this knowledge was built.
22 Years Coaching Experience
65+ Personal Trainers Assessed & Mentored
Level 3 Personal Trainer & Assessor
Precision Nutrition Master Coach (PN)
Qualified Sports Massage Therapist
StrongFirst Kettlebell Certified
8 Weeks Out Conditioning Specialist
Girls Gone Strong Menopause Specialist Coach
Trained by Paul McIlroy — Amazing 12, First Graduating Cohort
What makes EPTA
different
In-Person. Every Week.
No online-only modules. No weekend cram sessions. You show up every Saturday and you get coached, corrected, and assessed in real time — for 10 weeks straight.
Small Groups. Real Attention.
We deliberately keep cohorts small so James can actually see what every student is doing, give meaningful feedback, and correct problems before they become habits.
Beyond the Gym Floor
Most courses ignore soft tissue, recovery, and injury. Ewa's specialist input means EPTA graduates understand the full picture — and can work with the full client.
Edinburgh Network Built In
When you qualify, you qualify into a network. James knows Edinburgh's gym owners personally — and makes introductions. That's not on any other course syllabus.
A Working Gym, Not a Classroom
Sessions happen in a real training environment. Every piece of equipment, every scenario, every coaching moment — in the same kind of space your future clients will train.
One Tutor. Consistent Standard.
You're taught by James throughout — not rotated through guest lecturers with inconsistent standards. One voice. One framework. One quality bar, applied to everyone.
People who know
what they're talking about
Ewa
Ewa is a qualified Sports and Remedial Massage Therapist and part of the EPTA teaching team. She brings specialist knowledge in soft tissue therapy, injury prevention, and recovery — areas most PT courses skip entirely.
EPTA students graduate understanding the body beyond the gym floor. They know how to work with clients who have injury history, postural issues, and complex recovery needs — because Ewa makes sure of it.
Her input adds a layer most qualification providers don't even consider — which means EPTA graduates step into their first roles with a depth of knowledge the market genuinely doesn't expect at this level.
Advanced understanding of how soft tissue responds to training load and recovery protocols.
Practical strategies to help clients train safely even with existing injury history.
How to programme rest as a deliberate training variable — not an afterthought.
Reading movement and posture to prescribe exercise more accurately from day one.
Why
Edinburgh
This is an Edinburgh course. Not a national provider with a satellite venue. The network built over 22 years is here. The gyms, the gym owners, the employers EPTA graduates go on to work with — they're here.
That matters when you qualify and you're looking for your first clients. You're not starting cold. You're starting with introductions, reputation, and a tutor who picks up the phone when Edinburgh's best gym owners call.
Placed in Edinburgh.
By people who actually know people.
22-Year Local Network
James has been coaching in this city for over two decades. The people who matter — gym owners, employers, sports medicine professionals — know him personally.
Real Job Introductions
EPTA graduates are introduced to Edinburgh's top gym brands on qualification. Not a generic job board referral — a personal introduction from someone who carries weight.
A City That Needs Good PTs
Edinburgh's fitness market is growing. Qualify here, train here, build your client base here — and you start with the right foundations from day one.
Not a Satellite Venue
This isn't a national franchise running Edinburgh sessions once a month. Edinburgh-first — built here, running here, staying here.
Where
we are
545–551 Gorgie Rd
Edinburgh, EH11 3AR
If this sounds like
the right fit — let's talk.
No pitch. No pressure. Just a straight conversation about whether EPTA is the right place for you to train and build your career in Edinburgh.