Tibialis Raise
Leaning back against a wall with your heels out in front, you pull your toes up toward your shins and lower them slowly, training the front of your lower leg.
- Primary muscles
- Calves
- Logged as
- Reps
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Why do it
Most leg training works the calves at the back of the lower leg and leaves the front of the shin almost untouched. The tibialis raise fills that gap with nothing but a wall, which makes it a common add-on for runners and a quick finisher at the end of leg day. It's easy to scale: the further your heels are from the wall, the more of your weight your shins have to lift. Use slow, controlled reps rather than fast, bouncy ones.
How to do it
Lean your back against a wall with your heels about a foot in front of it, legs straight.
Lift your toes and the balls of your feet as high as you can, pivoting on your heels.
Squeeze the front of your shins at the top for a second.
Lower slowly until your feet are flat again. Move your heels further from the wall to make it harder, closer to make it easier.
Common mistakes
Heels too close to the wall
Standing almost upright leaves very little load on your shins. Walk your heels further out until the last few reps feel hard.
Bending at the hips or knees
If your hips pike or your knees bend, your body shifts and your toes come up too easily. Keep your legs straight and your back against the wall.
Slapping your feet down
Dropping your toes fast skips the lowering half of each rep. Lower your feet slowly until they're flat on the floor.
Lifting only your toes
Curling your toes up without moving the ankle barely uses the shin. Pull the whole front of your foot up, pivoting on your heels.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
