The tibialis raise has gone from an obscure rehabilitation exercise to one of the most talked-about movements in the running and strength training community over the past few years. Social media posts showing athletes performing tib raises against walls and on dedicated machines racked up millions of views as runners and coaches began recognising the connection between tibialis anterior strength and shin splint prevention.
The attention is deserved. The tibialis raise is a simple, equipment-free exercise that directly strengthens one of the most commonly overtaxed and undertrained muscles in athletes. If you run, hike, play field sports, or do any significant volume of lower body training, the tibialis raise is worth understanding and including in your programme.
What a Tibialis Raise Is
A tibialis raise is any exercise that involves pulling the foot and toes upward toward the shin (dorsiflexion) against resistance. The name comes from the tibialis anterior, the muscle that runs along the front of the shin and is responsible for this movement.
The most common version is the wall tibialis raise, where the athlete stands with their back against a wall, heels elevated slightly from the base of the wall, and repeatedly lifts the forefeet as high as possible. This position creates a specific mechanical advantage for loading the tibialis anterior that makes it more effective than the seated and supine variations that preceded it in rehabilitation settings.
Why the Tibialis Raise Works
The wall tibialis raise works better than traditional seated tibialis anterior exercises for one primary reason: the range of motion.
In a seated dorsiflexion exercise, the foot starts roughly parallel to the floor and lifts upward. This is a reasonable range, but it misses the most important portion of the tibialis anterior’s working range, the pre-stretched position where the ankle is in plantarflexion (pointed down) before the lift begins.
In the wall raise position, the heels are on the floor and the athlete leans away from the wall at an angle. The starting position places the tibialis anterior in a pre-stretched state (plantarflexed ankle), and the lift moves through the full available dorsiflexion range. This larger range produces significantly greater muscle fibre recruitment and a more complete strength stimulus.
Research comparing the wall tibialis raise to other tibialis anterior exercises consistently shows it produces higher muscle activation, greater strength gains, and better transfer to running-specific tibialis anterior demands than seated variations.
How to Do a Tibialis Raise: Step-by-Step
The Wall Tibialis Raise (Primary Variation)
Setup:
- Stand with the back flat against a wall
- Walk the feet forward until the heels are approximately 30 to 40 centimetres from the base of the wall
- The body should be at an angle with the back against the wall and the legs slightly in front
The movement:
- From this starting position with the forefeet resting on the floor, lift both forefeet as high as possible by pulling the toes toward the shins
- The heels remain on the floor throughout and act as the pivot point for the movement
- Hold the top position for 1 second
- Lower the forefeet slowly over 2 to 3 seconds back to the starting position
- Repeat
Key cues:
- Pull the toes up, not just the foot. Think of trying to touch the toes to the shins. This maximises the range of the dorsiflexion movement and recruits the tibialis anterior through its full working range.
- Keep the back flat against the wall. If the lower back arches away from the wall during the movement, the exercise is being compensated through the lower back rather than being driven purely by the tibialis anterior.
- Control the lowering phase. The eccentric (lowering) phase is where the most important training stimulus for shin splint prevention occurs. A 2 to 3 second lowering produces significantly better results than allowing the foot to drop back to the floor quickly.
- Feel it in the shin. The correct sensation during tibialis raises is a burning or fatigue in the outer shin muscle (tibialis anterior), not the calf or the foot. If the fatigue is elsewhere, the range or technique needs adjustment.
The lean angle and difficulty:
The angle of lean away from the wall determines the difficulty of the tibialis raise. The further the heels are from the wall (more reclined lean), the more bodyweight the tibialis anterior must lift and the harder the exercise becomes.
- Heels 20 centimetres from wall: easier (appropriate for beginners and rehabilitation)
- Heels 30 to 40 centimetres from wall: moderate (appropriate for most athletes)
- Heels 50 centimetres or more from wall: hard (appropriate for advanced athletes or those with significant tibialis anterior strength)
Begin with a closer heel position and progress the distance as strength improves.
Tibialis Raise Variations
Single-Leg Tibialis Raise
Purpose: Doubles the load on the working tibialis anterior by requiring one leg to perform the work of two. The most effective progression once the bilateral wall raise is accessible.
How to do it:
- Set up in the standard wall raise position
- Cross one foot behind the other ankle, resting it lightly, so only one heel is on the floor
- Perform the dorsiflexion lift with the single working foot
- Lower slowly and repeat
- Complete the set on one leg before switching
Key cue: The non-working foot should provide no assistance. It rests against the working ankle only for balance. All the lifting comes from the working leg.
When to introduce: When 3 sets of 20 bilateral wall raises can be completed with good form and the lower shin burns during the final reps.
Eccentric Tibialis Raise
Purpose: Isolates the eccentric (lowering) phase of the tibialis raise, which is the most important phase for shin splint prevention and running-specific tibialis anterior development.
How to do it:
- From the wall raise position, use both feet to lift the forefeet to the top dorsiflexed position
- Transfer weight to one foot
- Slowly lower the forefoot of the working leg over 4 to 5 seconds
- Use both feet to return to the top position
- Transfer to the other leg and repeat
- Complete 3 sets of 8 slow eccentric reps per leg
Why eccentric loading matters: The tibialis anterior works eccentrically to control foot lowering after heel strike during running. This is the phase most responsible for the shin fatigue and stress that leads to shin splints during mileage increases. Training the eccentric phase specifically builds the capacity that protects against this overload.
Weighted Tibialis Raise
Purpose: Adds external resistance for advanced athletes who have progressed beyond bodyweight loading.
How to do it:
- Loop a resistance band around the top of the foot and anchor it to a fixed point below and in front
- Alternatively, place a small weight plate (2.5 to 5 kilograms) across the top of the foot, holding it in place with the hand
- Perform the wall raise with the additional resistance
- Begin with the lightest practical load and progress slowly
Alternative: Tibialis anterior machine
Dedicated tibialis anterior machines are becoming more common in commercial gyms following the increase in awareness of this exercise. They provide a more ergonomic and progressively loadable version of the weighted tibialis raise. The movement pattern is the same but the load is applied through a padded contact point on the shin rather than across the top of the foot.
Seated Tibialis Raise
Purpose: A lower-demand alternative to the wall raise, appropriate for complete beginners, people with significant shin splint pain who cannot tolerate the wall raise, or those in the early stages of tibialis anterior rehabilitation.
How to do it:
- Sit on a chair with the feet flat on the floor
- Lift both forefeet as high as possible, pulling the toes toward the shins
- Hold for 2 seconds at the top
- Lower slowly over 3 seconds
- Complete 3 sets of 20 reps
Why the wall raise is preferable: The seated position does not place the tibialis anterior in a pre-stretched position at the start of the movement. This reduces the range and the training stimulus compared to the wall raise. Use the seated version as an entry point and progress to the wall raise as soon as comfortable.
Incline Tibialis Raise (Downhill Simulation)
Purpose: Develops the eccentric tibialis anterior endurance needed for downhill running and hiking, which is the most common context for tibialis anterior fatigue and pain in outdoor athletes.
How to do it:
- Stand on a slight incline (5 to 10 degrees), facing downhill
- Perform the tibialis raise from this inclined position
- The downhill angle increases the starting plantarflexion and therefore the range and demand of the exercise
- Complete 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
Alternative: Perform tib raises on a treadmill set to a slight negative gradient (decline).
Banded Tibialis Raise
Purpose: Uses a resistance band to provide dorsiflexion resistance through a specific vector, allowing the exercise to be performed without a wall in more varied training environments.
How to do it:
- Anchor a resistance band at floor level in front of you
- Loop the band around the top of the foot
- Stand with the heel on the floor and the band pulling the foot into plantarflexion
- Pull the foot upward against the band resistance into dorsiflexion
- Lower slowly against the band
- Complete 3 sets of 15 per foot
How Tibialis Raises Connect to Shin Splints
The mechanism connecting tibialis raises to shin splint prevention is worth understanding because it explains why this seemingly simple exercise has such a significant protective effect.
Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) involves repetitive stress to the tibia and the connective tissue of the lower leg during running. The tibialis anterior is one of the primary muscles that absorbs impact through eccentric contraction during foot strike. When the tibialis anterior lacks the strength and endurance to handle the repetitive eccentric demand of running, particularly during rapid mileage increases, the stress transfers to the tibial periosteum (the connective tissue covering the bone) and produces the bone-level pain of shin splints.
Tibialis raises, particularly the eccentric variation, develop the specific capacity of the tibialis anterior to handle this repetitive eccentric load. Research has shown that athletes who include tibialis raises in their training can tolerate significantly higher running volumes before shin pain develops compared to those who do not.
The practical implication is that tibialis raises are not just a rehabilitation exercise for existing shin splints. They are a preventive exercise that should be included by any runner who is increasing mileage, returning from a break, or has a history of shin splints.
How Tibialis Raises Connect to Running Performance
Beyond shin splint prevention, tibialis raises improve two specific aspects of running performance:
Foot strike control: A strong tibialis anterior controls the foot during the swing phase of running, producing a more precise foot strike with reduced braking force. Runners with stronger tibialis anterior muscles demonstrate better running economy (less oxygen cost at the same pace) than weaker counterparts.
Ankle stiffness and reactive spring: The tibialis anterior contributes to the stiffness of the ankle during ground contact that allows efficient storage and return of elastic energy. Stronger dorsiflexors contribute to a more elastic, spring-like foot strike that reduces the metabolic cost of each stride.
Programming Tibialis Raises
For shin splint prevention during mileage build-up:
- When: After every run session
- Exercise: Wall tibialis raise, bilateral
- Sets and reps: 3 sets of 20 reps
- Progression: Move to single-leg when 3 x 20 bilateral is easy
- Duration: Maintain throughout the mileage build-up phase
For shin splint rehabilitation:
- When: Daily during rehabilitation, transitioning to 3 times per week as running resumes
- Exercise: Begin with seated, progress to wall raise, then eccentric
- Sets and reps: 3 sets of 15 seated, progressing to 3 sets of 20 wall raise, then 3 sets of 8 eccentric
- Timeline: 6 to 8 weeks of progressive loading before return to full running
For general athletic conditioning:
- When: 2 to 3 sessions per week as part of lower body training
- Exercise: Wall tibialis raise, progressing to single-leg and weighted
- Sets and reps: 3 sets of 15 to 20 reps
- Progression: Increase reps, then move to single-leg, then add resistance
For runners focused on performance:
- When: 3 sessions per week, ideally on easy run days
- Exercise: Wall raise plus eccentric single-leg
- Sets and reps: 3 sets of 20 bilateral plus 3 sets of 8 eccentric single-leg
- Duration: Maintain year-round as a preventive measure
Common Mistakes
Not going through the full range: Partial range tibialis raises that only lift the foot halfway miss the most important portion of the movement. Pull the toes all the way toward the shins on every rep.
Lowering too quickly: The eccentric phase is where the most important training stimulus occurs. Letting the foot drop back to the floor quickly rather than controlling the descent over 2 to 3 seconds dramatically reduces the training effect.
Heels too close to the wall: With the heels very close to the wall, the bodyweight component is minimal and the exercise is too easy to produce a meaningful training stimulus. Most people need the heels at least 30 centimetres from the wall to feel the exercise working.
Training frequency too low: One session of tibialis raises per week is insufficient for meaningful strength development. The tibialis anterior responds well to frequency. Three sessions per week produces significantly better results than one.
Skipping progression: Many people perform the bilateral wall raise indefinitely without progressing to the single-leg or eccentric variations. These progressions produce significantly greater strength gains and better running-specific preparation than staying with the bilateral version indefinitely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tibialis raises should I do?
For beginners, 3 sets of 15 to 20 bilateral wall raises per session is appropriate. As strength develops, progress to single-leg raises (3 sets of 12 to 15 per leg) and eccentric raises (3 sets of 8 per leg). The number of reps matters less than the quality of each rep, particularly the controlled lowering phase.
Should I do tibialis raises before or after running?
Both approaches have merit. Performing tib raises before running activates the tibialis anterior for the session, which may improve running mechanics. Performing them after running develops the muscle under a degree of fatigue that better replicates the demands of the end of a long run. Many runners do a brief activation set before running and the main strengthening work after.
Can tibialis raises fix existing shin splints?
They are a primary component of shin splint rehabilitation but not the only one. Reducing running volume to allow the acute inflammation to settle, addressing training load management errors that caused the shin splints, and gradually reintroducing running alongside the tibialis raise progression are all necessary components of a complete shin splint management approach.
Do I need a tibialis anterior machine?
No. The wall tibialis raise produces excellent results without any equipment. A tibialis anterior machine provides a more ergonomic and progressively loadable option for advanced athletes but is entirely optional when the wall raise variations are available.
How long until tibialis raises improve shin splints?
Most people notice a meaningful reduction in shin pain within 4 to 6 weeks of consistent tibialis raise training combined with appropriate running load management. Full rehabilitation from significant shin splints typically takes 8 to 12 weeks of progressive work before return to full training volume.