Tibialis raise for strength and relief against Tibialis Anterior pain

Why train Tibialis Anterior?

Tibialis Raises are the go-to method of strengthening the Tibialis Anterior muscle. They make your shins and ankles stronger. That way you become more resilient to Tibialis Anterior pain and shin splints.

How to do Tibialis Raises?

Tibialis Raises are done by flexing your ankle by pulling your toes towards the knees. There are four main variations of Tibialis Raises, differing in the equipment used.

#4: Wall Tibialis raise

Stand against a wall with your back and hips. Move your feet out 1-2 steps and pull your toes towards you knees while keeping your heels down. Come down in a controlled fashion and repeat.

#3: Banded Tibialis raise

Wrap an exercise band around a stationary object. Wrap the other end of band around one or both middle-feet. Lie flat on your back and create tension by moving away from the band. When tension is on the band, pull your toes towards your knees. Control the negative movement and repeat.

#2: Kettlebell Tibialis raise

Sit down on a flat bench with your feet hanging over the edge. Place one foot in the grip of a light Kettlebell. Pull your toes towards your knee. Control the negative movement and repeat.

#1: Tib Bar Tibialis raise – Tib Bar

Sit down on a flat bench with your feet hanging over the edge. Place both feet under the handles of the Tib Bar and pick it up. Pull your toes towards your knees. Control the negative movement and repeat.

Tibialis Anterior training plan

For beginners

1. Frequency: Incorporate Tibialis training 2-3x per week at the end of your workout.
2. Reps & sets: Each session, you can do 1-2 exercises with 15-20 repetitions with 1-2 sets per exercises.
3. Form: Ensure you get a strong contraction when you point your foot towards your knees. Also ensure a deep stretch when pointing your feet away from you.
4. Progression: Start with Wall Tibialis raises until you can perform 20 easily then move to Tib Bar Tibialis raises.

For intermediates/advanced

1. Frequency: Incorporate Tibialis training 2-3x per week with 3-6 sets per session
2. Reps & sets: Each session, you can do 1-2 exercises with 10-20 repetitions, 2-4 sets per exercises.
3. Form: Ensure you get a strong contraction when you point your foot towards your knees. Also ensure a deep stretch when pointing your feet away from you.
4. Exercise progression: When you are strong enough, increase volume by doing additional repetitions, or using more weight (0.5-1kg per increment).

With regular Tibialis training you will gain a higher resilience against shin splints and Tibialis Anterior pain. Most likely, it will also increase your ankle mobility.

In our next set of posts, we'll discuss the 4 variations of the Tibialis Raise exercise in more detail. We'll also compare the variations so that you understand which exercise is best for you!

**Updated** - Post 1: Fighting knee pain with the Tib Bar for Tibialis Raise