Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Tibia Dorsi-Flexion Machine

The Hammer Strength Plate Loaded Tibia Dorsi-Flexion Machine is a compact strength machine for training the muscles at the front of your lower leg, with the tibialis anterior as the target muscle. Where a calf machine loads the back of your lower leg, this machine works exactly the opposite movement: you pull your foot up towards your shin against resistance. Intended for the home gym, the personal training studio and the semi-professional space where lower leg training goes further than calf raises alone.

Tibia Dorsi-Flexion Machine at a glance

• Aimed at dorsiflexion: the machine loads the movement in which your foot comes up towards your shin, a direction that is missing entirely from most equipment.
• Iso-Lateral movement: you train both legs at once, alternating, or with a different weight on each side, so a weaker side can get extra work specifically.
• Angled foot platform: the angle lines your ankle up with the pivot point of the machine, so the movement follows the natural range of your ankle.
• Firm top of foot pad: the high density pad holds your foot in place instead of letting it sink away, even when you load it more heavily.
• Inversion and eversion too: as well as pulling up, you can tilt the foot inwards and outwards, so you load the lower leg in several directions.
• Starting resistance of 1 kg per arm: low enough to begin in small steps on a muscle group you have probably never trained specifically.
• Maximum of 15 kg per arm: three 5 kg plates per side, plenty for a muscle group of this size.
• Low, compact set-up: 41 x 86 x 36 cm and 24 kg, so the machine fits in a corner without taking up a full training spot.

The direction most gyms skip

Virtually everyone who trains the lower leg does calf raises. That loads the back, where the calf muscles push the foot down. The opposite movement, in which you pull the foot up towards your shin, simply does not appear in the average programme. This machine turns that into an exercise you can load with plates and make progress on, instead of improvising with a band around your foot. Combined with a seated calf raise, that covers both sides of your lower leg.

Iso-Lateral training and more than one direction

Each leg has its own working arm. So you can pull both feet up at once, work alternately, or load a different weight on each side. That last option is useful when one leg is clearly falling behind and you want to address it specifically without training the stronger side alongside it. As well as dorsiflexion, the machine allows inversion and eversion: tilting the foot inwards and outwards. That loads the lower leg in several directions, which makes the machine more versatile than the name suggests.

Foot position and building the load

The foot platform sits at an angle that lines your ankle joint up with the pivot point of the working arm. That means the movement turns with your ankle rather than against it, and you follow the natural range of the joint. The pad over the instep is dense foam, so your foot stays put when you pull. The starting resistance is 1 kg per arm and you load a maximum of three 5 kg plates per side. That sounds like little, but this is a muscle group you have probably never loaded specifically; start with the starting resistance and only add a plate once you finish two to three sets through the full range.

Construction and placement

The frame is built from 11-gauge steel with an electrostatically applied powder coating, the same build as the large machines in the plate loaded line. The pads are moulded foam and the seat adjusts to several positions, so the angle matches your leg length. The feet have holes for floor anchoring. At 41 cm long, 86 cm wide and 36 cm high with a unit weight of 24 kg, this machine is the exception in the range: it fits in a corner of the room and two people can move it when you rearrange the layout. Ceiling height plays no part at all.

Worth knowing

Weight plates are not supplied and you need them per side, although the investment stays limited here thanks to the low maximum load of 15 kg per arm. Beyond that, this is emphatically a machine for a single movement in a small part of the body. If you only have room or budget for one or two machines, choose something more versatile first. This machine is intended as an addition for anyone who wants to train the lower leg completely and already has calf work in the programme.

Frequently asked questions about the Tibia Dorsi-Flexion Machine

Which muscles do I train with this machine?

The machine targets the muscles at the front of the lower leg, with the tibialis anterior as the main target muscle. Those are the muscles that pull your foot up towards your shin. Through the inversion and eversion movement you also address the muscles that tilt the foot inwards and outwards. You do not train the calf muscles at the back here; a calf machine is intended for that.

How much weight can I load on it?

A maximum of 15 kg per arm, that is three 5 kg plates per side, on top of a starting resistance of 1 kg per arm. That is matched to the size of the muscle group: this is not an exercise you work on with tens of kilos. Plates are not included, but the low maximum load keeps the purchase limited. Start with the starting resistance alone and build up one plate at a time.

How much space do I need?

The machine is 41 x 86 x 36 cm and weighs 24 kg. That makes it by far the most compact machine in this line: it fits in a corner or against a wall and does not take up a full training spot. Do allow room for your legs and chair at the front and a small area of clear space to change plates. At 36 cm build height, ceiling height is no issue at all.

Can I train both legs at once?

Yes, and you can work each leg separately as well. Thanks to the Iso-Lateral build, each side has its own working arm, so you move both feet at once, alternating, or with a different weight left and right. That last option is useful when one leg is noticeably falling behind. In all cases you load the plates per side.

Is this machine suitable for beginners?

Yes, the movement is simple and the movement path is fixed, so there is little to get wrong. The starting resistance of 1 kg per arm is low enough to start calmly on a muscle group most people have never loaded specifically. The adjustable seat makes sure the angle matches your leg length and the angled foot platform lines your ankle up with the pivot point. Work at a calm tempo and through a full range rather than with a lot of weight.

Can I move the machine?

Yes, that is realistic here. At 24 kg two people can lift this machine, unlike the large plate loaded machines that weigh hundreds of kilos. So you can put it aside when you need the space for something else. The feet do have holes for floor anchoring if you would rather have a permanent set-up.