How to become a Lagree instructor in Europe, a 2026 guide.
Becoming a certified Lagree™ instructor in Europe is more accessible than it has ever been. Trainings are now being offered closer to home, with the same official Level 1 certification recognized worldwide. Here is everything I would want to know if I were standing where you are right now.
What is Lagree, exactly?
Lagree™ is a low-impact, high-intensity training method created by Sebastien Lagree in 1996. It uses a patented machine, most famously the Megaformer, and now also the Micro and Mini, to combine resistance and counter-resistance with continuous time-under-tension. The result is a 50-minute class that builds strength, flexibility, cardiovascular capacity and core stability, all without joint impact.
People often confuse it with Pilates because both involve a carriage and springs. They are not the same. Pilates is rehabilitative, breath-led, and emphasizes precise, isolated movement. Lagree is athletic, slow-burning, and works the body to fatigue across compound chains. Both are excellent. But if you have taken a Lagree class, you know. The burn is unmistakable, and the results follow it.
Why is Lagree growing so fast in Europe?
Lagree spent its first two decades concentrated in the United States, where there are now hundreds of licensed studios from California to New York. Europe has lagged behind, partly because the equipment is expensive to ship and license, partly because there were no European certifications available until now.
That is changing fast. London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Marbella have all seen Lagree studios open in the last 24 months. Studio owners across the continent are searching for trained instructors, and there simply are not enough of them yet. If you can certify now, before the wave fully arrives, you are positioning yourself well, both as someone who can teach in an existing studio and as someone who could eventually open one of your own.
The instructors who certified in the US between 2010 and 2015 are the ones running studios today. Europe is at that exact moment, just fifteen years behind.
What does the Level 1 certification actually cover?
The official Lagree Fitness Level 1 curriculum is set by Lagree HQ in Los Angeles. It is the same content, the same exam, the same standards, whether you take it in California or Spain. That is important. Your certificate is recognized at every licensed Lagree studio in the world.
Across three full days (24 hours of training), you will cover:
- The history and philosophy of the method. Why slow movement, why springs, why time under tension. You cannot teach what you do not believe.
- Anatomy and biomechanics. Which muscle groups are active in each position, how to cue alignment, how to spot common form errors.
- The full Lagree movement library. The named exercises (Catfish, Bear, Wheelbarrow, Elevator Lunge, and dozens more), including their progressions and modifications.
- Class structure and sequencing. How to build a 50-minute class that flows from warm-up through legs, core, arms, and back without losing intensity.
- Cueing and coaching. The verbal, tactile and visual cues that move a room. This is where many otherwise-fit instructors struggle, and it is the part we spend the most time on.
- Mock teaching and assessment. On the final day, you teach a real section to your peers. You are observed, given feedback, and either certified or asked to retake. Almost everyone passes on the first attempt if they have done the work.
You leave with an official certification number issued by Lagree Fitness, valid worldwide.
Who is the certification for?
Honestly? Three kinds of people, in my experience.
The career-changer. Maybe you have been taking Lagree classes for a year and the words "I should be teaching this" keep crossing your mind. You do not need a fitness background. You need a body that can demonstrate the moves, a voice that can cue them, and the willingness to study.
The existing fitness professional. Personal trainers, yoga teachers, Pilates instructors, dancers. Adding Lagree to your toolkit makes you significantly more employable, especially in cities where studios are opening faster than they can hire. Many of my graduates picked up shifts within weeks of certifying.
The future studio owner. If you are considering opening a Lagree studio in your city, you should certify yourself first. You will understand the method from the inside, train your future staff better, and the licensing conversation with Lagree HQ becomes much easier when you arrive as a certified instructor.
What you do not need: an existing fitness certification, gym experience, or athletic credentials. What you do need: a willingness to teach. The method gives you the structure; you bring the human.
Do I need to be in great shape to certify?
You need to be fit enough to safely demonstrate every exercise on the machine. That is the honest answer. You do not need to look a certain way. You do not need to teach Lagree to elite athletes. You need a healthy, mobile body that can move through planks, lunges, twists and core work without injury.
If you have been practicing Lagree (or Pilates, or any consistent strength and conditioning practice) for at least six months, you are ready. If you have not, I would suggest taking a class once a week for a few months before training. Not because we would reject you, but because the method makes more sense in your body than on a page.
What does it cost?
The Marbella training is €1,936 (incl. 21% VAT), plus your travel and lodging from wherever you are coming.
The qualification you receive is the official Lagree Fitness Level 1 certification, identical to the one issued anywhere else in the world. Same curriculum, same exam, same recognition.
Most certifications require full payment up-front. The Marbella training accepts a non-refundable deposit of €968 (€800 + VAT) to hold your spot, with the balance due thirty days before training begins. I added this because I remember being a student and not having €1,936 sitting in my account ready to commit.
What happens after certification?
Three things, roughly in this order.
You start teaching. Most of my graduates apply to local Lagree studios within weeks. Studios are actively hiring across Europe: London, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, Lisbon. If your city has a licensed studio, send them your certification number. If it does not, you have an interesting opportunity (more on that below).
You keep practicing. Certification is the floor, not the ceiling. The best instructors I know take classes from other teachers regularly, study the method, and refine their cueing for years. Lagree HQ also runs Level 2 and continuing education for instructors who want to deepen their craft.
Some of you will open studios. A handful of my graduates have gone on to license a Megaformer fleet and open their own space. It is a real path. The trainers who become studio owners are almost always the ones who certified first, taught for one or two years, then licensed. Do not skip the teaching step. It is where you learn what running a class actually requires.
How do I choose a training?
A few things to verify before signing up for any Lagree certification, anywhere in the world:
- Is it official Lagree HQ Level 1? If the words "Lagree Fitness Level 1 Certification" do not appear, it is not. The method is trademarked; only Lagree HQ and their authorized Master Trainers can grant the official certificate.
- Who is the trainer? The lead trainer should be a Lagree Master Trainer or Senior Master Trainer, certified directly by Lagree HQ to deliver the Level 1 syllabus.
- What is the group size? Smaller cohorts mean more individual feedback on your teaching, which is the part that takes the longest to develop. We keep Marbella to 10 trainees for that reason.
- Is the equipment licensed? You want to train on real Megaformers and Micros, not knockoffs. The studio hosting the training should be a licensed Lagree partner.
The next European cohort starts September 2026.
Three days · Ten trainees · One certification recognized worldwide.
See dates and reserve →The questions I get most
Is the certificate really the same as anywhere else?
Yes. Lagree HQ sets the curriculum and issues the certification number. The training is delivered by an authorized Master Trainer using their syllabus. You receive the same official certification recognized at every licensed Lagree studio.
What language is the training in?
The Marbella training is delivered in English. Reading materials are in English. If your spoken English is conversational, you will be fine, and you will pick up the cueing vocabulary quickly because it is the same in every Lagree class on Earth.
Can I teach right after I certify?
Yes. Your certification is active the day you pass. You can apply for instructor positions immediately. Many studios will also have you do a "studio induction" specific to their setup before you are put on schedule, which is normal.
What if I fail the assessment?
Almost nobody does. The assessment is observational; your trainer is watching whether you can cue safely, sequence well, and hold a room. If something needs work, you will be told before the final day so you can address it. In the rare case someone needs to retake, we work it out individually.
How long does the certificate last?
The Lagree Level 1 certificate does not expire. Continuing education is encouraged but not required.
If you are seriously considering certifying anywhere, I would love to chat. I answer every email myself, and even if Marbella is not right for you, I can probably point you in the direction of a training that is. Reach me at andrea.mora.millan@gmail.com.