This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Chris Freytag demonstrating a Stiletto Squat

Stiletto Squat is an exercise that strengthens the legs, glutes, and calves and increases your balance and core stability. Stiletto Squat gets its name from those crazy high heels women wear around. When your heels are lifted up so high, your calves are put to work overtime.

Stiletto Squat takes an average squat that already focuses on your legs and glutes, and adds the calf strength by raising the heels up. Of course, when your heels are lifted you are already put to a balance challenge.

By adding balance and movement together you are really challenging not only your balance but also your core body strength.

It goes without saying that squats are an amazing workout for the legs. Every trainer and fitness professional around will prescribe squats for leg strength as well as for calorie burn, since working your larger muscle groups burns more calories.

Learning the basic squat is your first goal on this front, but once you have the basics, it is important to mix up your workouts and add dimension to the moves. There are many different types of squats, each adding a different twist on the strength it provides.

Plie Squats open the hips and add inner thigh strength, while Stiletto Squats draw in the calf strength and the balance challenge.

No matter which squat version you choose you can count on squats to help build a much tighter and lifted butt.

Stiletto Squat Exercise Instructions

  • Start standing and lift heels high like you’re wearing heels. Keeping your abs engaged slowly drop into a squat bringing your hips to knee height.
  • Squeeze your glutes and return to you starting position.

Targets: glutes, quads, hamstrings