Master Pilates Instructor Course
About This Course
Master Pilates Instructor Programme — Advanced Level
Four certificates in one programme: Reformer, Mat, Pregnancy and Pilates for Kids.
How this programme is delivered
This programme is delivered entirely online. Lectures, learning materials and assessments are completed remotely at your own pace, with tutor support through the course Q&A. There is no in-person practical observation.
What the programme covers
The Master Pilates Instructor Programme combines four areas of Pilates teaching into one structured curriculum:
Reformer Pilates — working with the machine and dynamic resistance.
Mat Pilates — the foundation of all Pilates practice.
Pregnancy Pilates — safe and appropriate programming for expectant mothers.
Pilates for Kids — adapting practice for developing bodies.
Delivery recognition
Study at your own pace from anywhere in the world.
This programme is written and awarded by EFWA®, a UK-based education provider, and is endorsed by the International Pilates Federation (IPF), an independent membership body for Pilates professionals. Endorsement reflects the Federation’s review of our curriculum.
EFWA® certificates are not regulated qualifications. Studio and employer requirements vary by country, so please check local requirements if you intend to teach professionally. What travels with you is what you understand.
The EFWA® Anatomical Overlay
This is what separates an EFWA® programme from a Pilates video library.
Every practical demonstration runs alongside an anatomical panel prepared by Dr Mert Eray Onen, author of Anatomy of the Locomotor System. For each exercise the panel identifies the joints involved, the movement occurring at each — flexion, extension, abduction, rotation — the muscles producing that movement, the muscles stabilising isometrically, and the muscles being lengthened.
Most instructor courses show you the exercise. This one shows you what is happening inside the body while you perform it, and why the cue you give a client works.
Who teaches what. Theoretical modules — anatomy, kinesiology and exercise physiology — are delivered by Dr Mert Eray Onen, who has taught these subjects at university level since 2004. Practical demonstrations are delivered by Melisa Arslan, with the anatomical analysis for each exercise prepared by Dr Onen.
How the programme is structured
Students often ask why the programme is ten hours. We believe in depth rather than duration. Traditional courses often spend hours on historical background that does not help you teach a class. Every module here is built around what you will actually use when teaching.
Content without filler. Every minute of video is there because it is needed. What you are given is the anatomical, physiological and technical knowledge required to teach the movement in front of you.
Applied anatomy. You will study anatomy and physiology in genuine depth, so that you understand precisely which muscle groups are working during every repetition, and why.
Why study time exceeds video runtime. A movement demonstration may run for two or three minutes, but learning that movement takes considerably longer. Working through a single exercise properly means watching the demonstration, noting the anatomy, attempting the movement, reviewing your own execution, and returning to the video to correct it. In practice this takes ten to fifteen minutes per exercise. Our guided learning estimate reflects this — it accounts for lecture viewing, written study, repeated practice and assessment, not screen time alone.
The advantage of self-paced study. You can return to a demonstration as many times as you need and pause at the precise moment a movement changes direction. In a group class, individual correction is necessarily limited by the number of learners present. Neither format replaces the other: live teaching offers immediate correction, self-paced study offers depth and repetition.
Tutor support. Our tutors are available through the course Q&A to provide guidance whenever you need it.
Unlimited access. Your access does not end when your certificates are issued. Course materials remain available to you indefinitely.
What you will gain
Biomechanical understanding. Learn the science behind movement to reduce injury risk and teach more effectively. Understanding how the body moves gives you the confidence to adapt sessions for clients of differing abilities.
Instructional skill. Develop the verbal cues and teaching techniques needed to lead both group sessions and one-to-one clients. You will know how to structure a class, correct form, and keep clients engaged.
Niche specialisation. Develop specific competence in Pregnancy and Kids Pilates — two areas that require additional knowledge of physiology and safe adaptation, and which many general instructors are not trained to teach.
What you receive
On completion you will hold four EFWA certificates: Mat Pilates Instruction, Reformer Pilates Instruction, Pregnancy Pilates Instruction, and Pilates for Kids Instruction. Each certificate is issued by EFWA and can be verified by QR code.
Who this programme is for
Practising instructors and movement professionals: Pilates instructors, personal trainers, fitness coaches and therapists who want to strengthen their anatomical and physiological knowledge and extend their teaching into new areas.
Those preparing to teach: Committed Pilates practitioners moving from personal practice into instruction. This programme gives you the knowledge to teach with confidence.
Professionals studying alongside other commitments: Flexible hours make this suitable for those balancing existing work. Study in the evenings, at weekends, or whenever your schedule allows.
Learning Objectives
Target Audience
- Committed Pilates practitioners preparing to move from practice into teaching.
- Gym instructors, personal trainers and fitness coaches extending their teaching into Reformer work.
- Massage therapists, sports therapists and physiotherapists with an interest in movement mechanics.
- Practising Pilates instructors who want to strengthen their anatomical knowledge.
Curriculum
Locomotor System Anatomy
Skeletal System36:15
Muscular System35:53
Locomotor System Anatomy Quiz
Exercise Physiology
Anatomy and Physiology
Master Pilates Teacher Training
Your Instructors
Dr. Mert Eray Onen
PhD · Founder & Academic Director, EFWA
Dr Mert Eray Onen is the founder of the European Fitness and Wellness Academy and the author of Anatomy of the Locomotor System, 2022.
He has taught human anatomy and kinesiology at university level since 2004, delivering these subjects across all departments of the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Kocaeli University, where he remains a member of the teaching staff. He holds a PhD in Sport Health Sciences from Marmara University and an MSc in Coaching Education from Celal Bayar University, where he graduated first in his cohort.
Published work
Alongside Anatomy of the Locomotor System, his books include Doping in Sport, second edition 2014. He is editor and contributing author of Training Physiology, 2026, for which he wrote the chapters on muscle physiology, neuromuscular control, and the peripheral and central mechanisms of exercise-induced fatigue. He has contributed chapters on muscle physiology and fatigue mechanisms to Exercise and Sport Physiology. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, most recently on the effects of massage practice on low back pain and physical fitness.
Teaching in Pilates and movement
In 2011–2012 he delivered the anatomy, kinesiology and exercise physiology curriculum across all International Pilates Federation instructor programmes — Matwork I–II and Reformer I–II — and served as the Federation’s Vice President for Education and Chair of its Education and Science Board. He has taught sports anatomy on Turkish Gymnastics Federation Pilates instructor courses in 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2016.
Beyond Pilates, he has delivered anatomy, physiology and nutrition modules on national coaching certification courses across more than fifteen sports, including swimming, athletics, tennis, judo, boxing, handball and bodybuilding. Since 2004 he has been programme coordinator and anatomy lecturer on the massage therapist training courses run jointly by the Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Ministry of National Education.
In 2025 he received the Best Educator award at the 9th International Achievement and Career Award.
At EFWA
Dr Onen writes and delivers the theoretical modules of EFWA’s programmes, and prepares the anatomical analysis that accompanies every practical demonstration: the joints involved, the movement occurring at each, the muscles producing it, the muscles stabilising isometrically, and the muscles being lengthened.
Student Feedback
Reviews (11)
Thanks so much for letting me know more information about Pilates
تجربه ممتعه ممتنه لكل المعلومات التي تحصلت عليها
It could have been much better if half of it wasn't in Spanish and the other half was AI dubbed... That's a shame as the information is there just delivered terrible.….
Grateful for the opportunity to further develop my expertise and look forward to applying these insights in my professional practice
Very good! Thanks very much for this course!
Thank you very much for the course. The videos were very useful and informative. But the page itself was not entirely clear.
I truly enjoyed this course. The way the content was organized made everything clear and easy to follow, as each topic naturally flowed into the next. The structure helped me better absorb the material and keep the information in mind. It was both engaging and valuable it reinforced what I already knew while also giving me fresh perspectives. Thank you for such a well-designed program!
Good theoretical and practical materials
I completed the Pilates course and was very satisfied with the results. The program is well-structured and organized step by step — all the key and essential topics were covered gradually: anatomy, physiology, muscle function, and training principles.
What I especially appreciated is that the material was not presented superficially, but with a clear understanding of how and why the exercises work, how to properly structure training sessions, and how to take individual body characteristics into account.
After the course, I gained a systematic understanding of the body and confidence in conducting training sessions. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants not just to perform exercises, but to deeply understand the process and work professionally.
I really enjoyed the course, especially how all the modules were well structured and the information was presented in a logical sequence, which made it easy to understand and remember. It was a very interesting course that helped me confirm my existing knowledge and also gain new insights. Thank you!
Very interesting and informative!
£299.00
