Planks might bore you. That's fine. You might also think of the staple core exercise as an opportunity in your workout to take a breather from high-intensity moves, or as a chance to try to outlast a ticking countdown or a friend, holding the rigid position until your shoulders ache and your hips sag. In either case, you're approaching the plank the wrong way. The simple bodyweight move is a valuable training tool, both to strengthen your core and to reinforce solid postural cues that will transfer to other exercises and your day-to-day life. The plank isn't just about your abs, after all. It's about your whole core, and more. That's one of the reasons why you shouldn't expect results from holding the position for minutes on end (or hours, if you're looking to break a record). "The plank is the most basic of exercises, and challenges you to keep core and glutes tight," says