Going anywhere near the Knees-over-toes scene, you’re sure to stumble upon tibialis raises. It’s no wonder, considering the crucial role the tibialis anterior plays in dorsiflexing the ankle.
However, targeting the tibialis (especially the anterior muscle) is still a mystery to a lot of athletes of all levels. You’ll rarely find a dedicated tibialis machine at standard gyms. We all know the general attitude toward leg days, especially when it comes to calves.
Well, it’s time we put that mystery to bed. Let’s dig into 5 tibialis raises that will help you develop stronger things.
Table of Contents
Tibialis Raises – Exercise Progression
The following five tibialis raise exercises are in ascending order when it comes to difficulty. If you can’t jump on it right away – don’t get demoralized. You’d be surprised by how many people have underdeveloped tibialis.
Here’s some great starting material to help you out:
1. Wall Tibialis Raises


Starting off, we have the easiest tib raise out there. The wall tibialis raise needs no props (besides a wall to lean on) and should be accessible even to absolute beginners.
Here’s how to do wall tib raises:
- Stand 1 foot (your foot) from the wall, facing away from it
- Lean against the wall with your behind. Make sure the hips are stable against the wall.
- Leading with your toes, with your heels dug into the floor, lift your feet up
Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps. Keep in mind, you will probably burn through this tibialis raise variant. So, let’s spice it up with some angles.
2. Slant Board Tibialis Raise
The slant board introduces, well, a slant to the standard wall tib raise. Being on a downward slant makes you start the movement from the point of plantar flexion. This in turn gives you a wider range of motion and a stronger contraction during the tib raise. So, naturally, start with a smaller angle and build your way up.
How to do slant board tib raises:
- Place the slant board near a wall, and adjust the angle
- Stand on the board (heels elevated) and place your upper body against the wall
- Leading with your toes, raise the feet up
3. Plate Loaded Toe Raise
Now, to put some weight on that muscle.
You will need a weight plate (bumpers work best) big enough to place it over the tip of your foot. This exercise requires a bit of attention during setup, so be extra careful not to drop the weight on your toes. This tib raise variant can be done single-leg, or with both legs working together (depending on the plate you have available).
Here’s how to do a plate-loaded toe raise:
- Sit on a bench, with feet on the ground, and your knees at a 90° bend
- Place a bumper plate over the upper part of your feet
- Leading with the big toes, raise the plate while keeping the heel down
4. Kettlebell Tibialis Raise
Now, if you’re not a fan of dropping plates around your toes, you can go a step further and do tib raises with a kettlebell. This tibialis raise variation is designed for single-leg only, even though it’s technically possible to do both legs at the same time. Keep in mind, you will need something to prop your heel onto if you want to achieve a full ROM.
How to do kettlebell tibialis raises:
- Prop your foot on an elevated surface, resting on your heel
- By putting your toes through the kettlebell, place the weight on the upper part of your foot
- Let the kettlebell stretch your ankle out to max plantar flexion
- Leading with your toes, squeeze the tibialis anterior and raise the kettlebell up
5. Tib Bar Tibialis Raise
Lastly, if you don’t want to bother with props and weird bumper plate setups, you should use the tib bar. The tib bar tibialis raise is an efficient way to train both your legs in a controlled manner.
For this exercise, you will need a tib bar and some weights (we recommend starting slow). Here’s how to do tibialis raises with a tib bar:
- Sit on a bench or a box with your legs sticking over the side
- Load the tib bar and place your feet into its slots. Make sure the tib bar is tight around your feet
- Let gravity pull your feet into plantar flexion as far as you can handle
- Push against it, leading with your toes, and pull the feet with the tib bar up
The Hybrid Athlete Tib Bar has many more uses. Click HERE to check them out.
Or, if you’re trying to decide whether to get the single-leg tib bar version check out this Tib Bar vs. Solo Tib guide.
Strong Tibialis For A Healthy Body!
The tibialis anterior is there to help distribute the force from running, jumping, and squatting. Repetitive stress to this region can cause imbalances, thus making every joint above it move incorrectly.
So, to keep your joints healthy, and prevent your knees and hips from taking all that extra stress, implement tibialis raises into your leg day, today!
Get The Best Injury-Prevention Training Equipment:
GET THE BEST INJURY-PREVENTION TRAINING EQUIPMENT:
Above all, a storyteller. Then comes marketing, branding, writing music, powerlifting, and woodworking.