My priviledged position as an IT consultant brings with it the possibility that a client may decide to send me home for a couple of weeks to trim their end of year budget. That's fair enough, but should I really be allowed to bum around at home with such massive quantities of food around? All the good bad things... I think not!

Feeling fat time for exercise- Pretty tree

I've got another week off work, so when better to clear out some of the bad things and get some proper exercise? I like to keep things simple, so I'm working on a few core areas only for now. Diet is another thing and pretty easy to keep a handle on when the house isn't full of cake and other gorgeously evil delicacies.

Core stability/ lower back

My Achilles' heel if ever there was one and the day job really doesn't help. I have always had a weak lower back, and it atrophies quickly, so this is the most important thing I need to rebuild. I'm mainly doing simple body-weight exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, and a few swings and deadlifts with my 24kg (53lb) kettlebell.

Arse

Yes, I have a big one, as my girlfriend keeps reminding me. It has reasonably well developed muscles from years of martial arts, but it still carries a little more heft than I would like. The kettlebell swings seem to help tighten up its squishiness and a run through the local forest helps burn off the flab with side benefits to the heart, lungs and pretty much everything else. Death to the massive arse!