OK, WE GET it: Planks are boring. Staring at the floor with the sweat dripping down your nose waiting for your timer to run down is almost as exciting as visiting the in-laws.

Just in case you’ve been living under a rock as of late, planks are isometric exercises used to strengthen and build endurance in the abdominals. They are typically performed either on your elbows and toes, on your side, or even face up. They are normally held for time (30 to 60 seconds) or performed in shorter timed intervals with only a few seconds’ break (say, 10-second holds with two-second rest periods).

Chose a few of each variation below and add 3-5 sets to your workouts. Perform each set for 60 seconds

Planks are the new situps for modern-day coretraining. People like numbers, so instead of doing 300-500 situps every night, they’ll form a statue-like creature on the floor next to their bed and be motionless for as long as possible. But, as with anything, we must apply the Principle of Progressive Overload to ensure continued progress. No one in their right mind wants to hold their planks longer and longer—thankfully, progressive overload can be applied by other means.

If you can nail a basic front plank, remove the boredom with these variations. Not only are they challenging, but they will also add some spice to your ab routines.

by Jon-Erik Kawamoto, C.S.C.S.