Curriculum Overview
Essentrics®
instructor certification
The curriculum is organized into 4-levels that methodically build upon themselves throughout the training. There are two certification tracks through which you can enter the program.
Find out more about our tracks
Becoming a Certified Essentrics Instructor is an incredibly rewarding experience that will provide you with an enjoyable, fulfilling outlet to pursue your passion for health and wellness. Throughout the 4-level curriculum, which you can enter through two different tracks, you will learn to teach at an elevated level that we believe the body deserves.
You begin teaching with your Apprentice hours in Level 1. Once your 4-level training is complete, you will have the skills, tools, techniques, experience and knowledge to deliver outstanding, transformative results to your clientele of interest in any setting.
Essentrics is an intelligent technique that requires a certain time investment to learn; we offer ongoing, extensive, interactive support tools that will help you succeed and complete your certification in a timely, manageable and motivating manner.
Essentrics is a distance learning program that you can complete from the comfort of your home according to your schedule. You can complement your home-study at any point with our Live Teacher Trainings and Workshops. These workshops are held in various locations throughout the year and are highly recommended. They will help you progress through your levels faster as you gain practical knowledge, experience and confidence while feeling connected to your peers within the global community.
Our online learning tools and support make our training easy and accessible for every instructor, no matter where they are in the world. The Teacher Training department is dedicated to staying connected with our global community, in addition to helping instructors connect among themselves.
Certification Timeframe:
Each level takes approximately 3-9 months to complete. Taking into account all elements of the curriculum, the entire 4-level certification can take 1.5-2.5 years.
The great news is that you begin teaching right away with your Apprentice hours as you study Level 1.
Annual Requirements:
For more information, please refer to the Instructor Certification Terms and Conditions under Maintaining Your Active Teaching License.
Essentrics Live Teacher Trainings and Workshops bring to life the certification curriculum, accelerate your training, and are highly recommended. There is no substitute for the knowledge that you acquire about yourself and the technique while surrounded by your peers and guided by Master Trainers.
Though they are not mandatory, our trainings are truly invaluable. The hands-on, interactive experience is invaluable, as any instructor who has attended will attest. Click here to read our instructor testimonials.
Every level has its own 2-3 day training. For every training day, you will receive a two-hour credit towards your required Apprentice teaching hours for that level. **Please note, attending a live training does not grant you a certificate of completion for that level. Each level has requirements that must be met outside of the training.**
You can attend a Live Teacher Training for any level at different points within your certification:
- Before getting started in the level to introduce you to its curriculum and exercises or
- Once you’ve already delved into the material and have started working on the requirements or
- After successfully completing a level and passing the exam.
No matter at what point you choose to attend, what you gain will be substantial and significant. We have many repeat attendees!
Each day consists of practical work, theoretical work, ongoing Q&A’s, daily live classes with Master Trainers, interactive teaching opportunities, exam prep, and more. Benefit from on-the-spot, live corrections and immediate feedback to perfect your positioning to ensure you are teaching correctly. Enhance your understanding of the body and its functioning and learn how to recognize common body issues (alignment/tightness/weakness) and correct common mistakes. Class tricks and pointers, teaching skills, cueing, tempo, musicality and practical marketing tools are a handful of long-lasting benefits that you will take home.
In addition, you will enjoy a lively and positive learning environment and sense of community among others who share the same passion. Disconnect from the busy-ness of life and take-in the technique, uninterrupted.
Each level includes:
- -A theoretical instructor’s manual;
- -Videos to teach you the exercises, sequences, anatomy and modifications within the level’s curriculum;
- -Study guide and exam prep tools;
- -Written evaluation booklet and practical evaluation guidelines;
- -Support from the Teacher Training department at Head Office and from the instructor community.
Additional material required for the Level 1 Aging Backwards Certification Track: Aging Backwards by Miranda Esmonde-White
Each level requires an exam submission. 3 exam components for each level:
1. Apprentice hours: Required practice teaching hours using Pre-Choreographed Workouts
Level 1: 30 hours
Level 2: 18 hours
Level 3: 18 hours
Level 4: 18 hours
2. Theoretical evaluation:
Multiple choice and/or short answer evaluation based on the theory from the manual. There is an additional multiple choice exam in Level 1 for those who have entered through the Aging Backwards Certification track.
3. Practical evaluation:
Submission of a recorded video and/or interactive virtual session or live in-person exam demonstrating the required workout and/or exercise sequences for that particular level.
For more information on the exam requirements and details for each level, please explore the evaluation process tab within each level.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites to enter the Essentrics Teacher Training Program. We encourage and welcome people of all fitness levels and experience, regardless of age and ability.
Many of our best instructors have no background in health, fitness, dance, anatomy or teaching and have thrived in our program. As you learn to teach your first Pre-Choreographed Workout in Level 1, your body will rapidly become much more flexible, strong, and balanced. Your movements will become more fluid and natural as you progress, and you will gain coordination and body awareness as you go.
Our Teacher Training program provides you with the education and support you need to succeed, no matter your prior experience.
Fees:
Cost for the 4-level certification program: The cost of the Essentrics certification curriculum is broken down per level. Click here to view pricing.
Exam fees: Each level requires an exam submission. Click here to view pricing.
There is a scientific and tested pattern behind the sequencing and layout of an Essentrics workout – one that is vital towards achieving rapid and safe results in every class. Pre-Choreographed Workouts (PCWs) introduce instructors to the formula of Essentrics, each with varying exercises, sequencing, objectives, techniques and music playlists.
It is important to understand that Essentrics is not a program of unrelated exercises randomly strung together. Individual exercises are meaningless unless they are sequenced in the correct combination of techniques, anatomy, and objectives; this is why individual Essentrics exercises should not be used in fusion classes. The exercises are effective at achieving specific goals because of their strategic sequencing. You will learn more about sequencing exercises as you pass through each level and learn new PCWs.
Our PCWs will help you be successful while staying true to the technique. They are chosen from the most popular routines taught by Master Trainers and have been tested on all ages, fitness levels, and sexes.
Each PCW has a specific theme while remaining true to the basic principle of Essentrics which is to offer a full body workout that rebalances every joint while equally strengthening and stretching all 650 muscles. Our PCWs offer different combinations of standing, floor and barre or chair work.
Each PCW includes a video demonstrating how to teach the full routine with valuable tips on verbal cueing, transitions, speed, set-up, modifications, and class flow. The accompanying written content covers detailed exercise breakdowns, techniques, objectives, descriptive imagery, target anatomy, modifications, teaching tips, and common mistakes to watch for.
Until you’ve finished learning all the exercises, techniques and theory found in Level 1-4, you are required to teach the Pre-Choreographed Workouts created by Head Office. Upon completing Level 1 in the Comprehensive track, you may choose the PCWs that best suit your desired clientele. Upon completing Level 1 in the Aging Backwards® track, you may choose Aging Backwards® PCWs only (PCW9 and PCW13), and once you have completed Level 3, you may choose PCWs from the entire collection – at which point in your certification you will have gained the knowledge and skills to adapt any PCW to your Aging Backwards® clientele.
Examples of Pre-Choreographed Workouts (PCWs):
- PCW2: Improving Range of Motion & Posture – 1 hour, Standing & Floor
- PCW3: Slenderizing, Strengthening & Deep Stretching– 1 hour Standing & Floor
- PCW5: Increasing Strength & Range of Motion – 1.5 hours Standing, Floor & Barre/Chair
- PCW8: Boosting Full-Body Power & Strength – 1.25 hours Standing, Floor & Barre/Chair
- PCW9: Reversing Aging & Relieving Stress – 1 hour Standing & Floor
For more information on our Pre-Choreographed Workout collection, click here.
A key ingredient to succeeding as an Essentrics instructor is the visibility of your classes. Our online class map is a main attraction on our website which helps promote Certified instructors and allow Essentrics and Classical Stretch clientele to find classes by location for group and private training.
Upon passing Level 1, you will be granted a Class Profile Account where you will input your class and personal information according to your preference. You may choose to display: your Essentrics class location; class name and type (ex: Essentrics Aging Backwards®, Essentrics Barre); exact day and time of class; personal information such as your email, social media contact and website; and if you are available for private training. We want to help you succeed, be seen and thrive!
Check out our Find a Class Tool!
Please refer to the section “Maintaining Your Active Teaching License” in the Instructor Certification Terms & Conditions page.
