The tibialis anterior muscle is a vital muscle located in the front of the leg that plays a crucial role in stabilizing the ankle joint, lifting the foot off the ground, and inverting the foot¹.

It is the largest and strongest dorsiflexor of the foot that extends the toes and works with the tibialis posterior to invert the foot¹. This muscle is particularly important for activities such as walking, running, hiking, and kicking a ball⁴. It stabilizes the ankle joint as the foot hits the floor and pulls it clear of the ground as the leg continues moving⁵.

The elastic tendinous tissues of this muscle can improve the economy of walking and running, amplify the power generated by a muscle, and absorb energy³. Hence, having a strong tibialis anterior muscle is essential to help individuals perform their daily activities with ease.

Weakness in this muscle can lead to several problems such as an inability to stabilize the ankle joint or lift the foot off the ground during activities such as walking or running, which can significantly increase the risk of injury. Therefore, individuals must strengthen their tibialis anterior muscle to prevent such problems.

Current research suggests that strengthening the tibialis anterior muscle is associated with a reduction in the risk of falling¹. The tibialis anterior muscle is the primary foot dorsiflexor muscle and plays a crucial role in balance control and the gait cycle¹.

Previous studies have shown that the heel strike and swing phases are the two phases with increased tibialis anterior muscle activity¹. Hence, strengthening this muscle can improve balance control and prevent falls.

Moreover, strengthening the tibialis anterior muscle can also help in preventing muscle imbalances that can result in pain or injury. Several people often train their calf muscles but neglect to train their tibialis anterior muscle, which leads to imbalances².

Therefore, individuals must incorporate tibialis anterior strengthening exercises into their workout routine to prevent muscle imbalances. |

One of the exercises that individuals can do to strengthen their tibialis anterior muscle is tib bar raises. To perform this exercise, sit on a bench with a straight back and legs extended straight in front of you. Ensure that your upper legs and knees are supported by the bench and that your lower calf and ankles are extended beyond the bench so that your ankle can move freely. Put your feet into a tib bar with the desired weight and lift your toes towards your knees, hinging at the ankles before slowly lowering your toes back down (dorsiflexion and plantar flexion movements). Repeat for repetitions⁴.

Another tibialis exercise that individuals can do is the toe raise, which is a good option as it requires no equipment. Simply lean back against a wall with your legs straight, and with your weight on your heels, dorsiflex your ankle (raise your toes towards your shin). Pause at the top of each rep, and repeat for a few sets of as many reps as you can.

If you’re getting 20+ without trouble, just walk your feet further away from the wall to increase the difficulty.

Toe raises do have their limits, as eventually your knees will give out, or you’ll be sitting on your butt! And tib bars can be expensive, a low-cost alternative is the tib strap, which achieves the same thing at a fraction of the price. A tib strap is a toughened nylon strap that wraps around your ankle and allows you to add weight just like tib bars. The amount of weight you will actually add isn't going to be enough to necessitate such a big piece of equipment, especially if you are relatively new to tib training.

By incorporating tibialis anterior strengthening exercises into their workout routine, individuals can reap all these benefits and more, such as extremely rapid balance improvements and increased ability to decelerate quickly. In conclusion, the tibialis anterior muscle plays a crucial role in stabilizing the ankle joint, lifting the foot off the ground, and inverting the foot.

Having a strong tibialis anterior muscle is essential to prevent injuries, improve balance control, and prevent muscle imbalances. Therefore, individuals must incorporate tibialis anterior strengthening exercises into their workout routine to improve their overall health and well-being.

So start training you tibialis anterior and you'll see why this muscle is enjoying a current surge in popularity. If you do, you will enjoy a surge of improvement in your knee and ankle function which will lead to a better quality of life, in and out of the gym!

References:

¹Verywell Health (2023). 8 Best Anterior Tibialis Exercises & Stretches.

²A1 Athlete (2023). 10 Incredible Tibialis Raise Benefits.

³Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic (2022). Tibialis anterior strengthening exercise.

⁴Tibialis anterior: Origin, insertion, innervation, action | Kenhub. [https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/tibialis-anterior-muscle](https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/tibialis-anterior-muscle).

⁵Tibialis anterior tendinous tissue plays a key role in energy ... - PubMed. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31064856/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31064856/).