Relevé Plie is a leg-strengthening move borrowed from ballet and adapted for everyday workouts. Performed correctly, it sculpts the legs and glutes while targeting both the inner and outer thighs. The combination of a wide, turned-out stance and rising onto the toes builds calf strength and balance, making it an efficient, low-equipment exercise for home or gym routines.
The plie comes from a classical ballet position that emphasizes a straight spine while bending at the knees. In the plié squat—often compared to a sumo squat—the feet are placed wider than hip-width and the toes are turned outward. This stance shifts emphasis to the inner thighs and the gluteus muscles, providing a different stimulus than a conventional narrow squat.
Adding the relevé portion—rising up onto the balls of the feet—further engages the calves and challenges stability. Because the movement places your body in a less familiar alignment, it requires greater balance and coordination, helping to improve proprioception and ankle strength as you control the ascent and descent.
Relevé Plie differs from a standard squat primarily in foot placement and muscle focus. The turned-out stance recruits the adductors (inner thigh muscles) more intensely, while the wider base and upright torso still work the quads and hamstrings. The gluteus minimus and medius also play a strong role in stabilizing the hips through the motion.
This exercise is equipment-free, so it’s ideal for quick lower-body sessions at home. To increase difficulty, hold dumbbells or a kettlebell to add resistance and further engage the upper body and core for a fuller strength challenge.
Relevé Plie Exercise Instructions
- Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width, toes turned outward. Lift your heels into a relevé (rise onto the balls of your feet) and engage your core.
- Bend at the knees, lowering your hips into a plié while keeping your chest lifted and back straight. Maintain tension in the abdominals and squeeze the glutes as you descend.
- Press through the heels and balls of the feet to straighten the legs and return to the raised starting position. Keep movement smooth and controlled, focusing on balance.
Targets: glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, inner thighs, calves