When you’re hitting the gym day after day, it’s common to get caught up with upper body workouts. But, it’s incredibly important to give your legs a solid workout as well. A balanced body is a healthy one, (not to mention more attractive aesthetically). Toned, built legs are just as crucial as a ripped chest, back, and arms, so put time into your lower half at the gym.

There are countless exercises that you can do to build leg strength. But, in this article, I’ve provided three manageable basics to start you off. Add these exercises into your regular workouts to build an ideal overall physique.

Barbell Squat

Barbell squats mainly work your quads but will warm up your entire body. This exercise is a great one to incorporate into your gym routine because weight can be added to the barbell as you gain strength. Around five sets of five to six repetitions is a good number of barbell squats to add to your workout.

Leg Presses

As with barbell squats, leg presses work your quad muscles, but without the engagement of your upper body. This exercise allows you to adjust the weight that your legs are pressing directly through the use of a machine. For leg presses, I recommend doing about three sets of ten to twelve reps.

Calf Raises

It’s just as important to work your calves as it is to work your quads. Strong calves will help your cardio workouts such as walking, running, biking, and more. Calf raises are simple to execute–four sets of ten to twelve reps is enough to get the benefit of this exercise in your workout.

These exercises are simple and easy to fit into any gym routine. You will truly see and feel the difference when you work to build muscles throughout your body.