I’m a big fan of dark beer, bourbon, and a good cigar. Always have been. But here’s the truth: if you want abs year-round AND you want to stay motivated, you need rules. Not perfection—rules.

For me, the biggest rule is zero alcohol during the week. I train Monday–Friday at 4am, no questions asked. It’s part of who I am. And if I drink during the week, what are the chances I start missing? Pretty damn high. Consistency slips. Discipline slides. And dehydration + heavy lifting is an injury waiting to happen.

Weekends are different. I love celebrating the work I put in Friday and Saturday. But Sunday? That’s reset day. Rehydrate. Refocus. Get your mind and body right for the week ahead. Heavy deadlifts don’t care that you were out Saturday night.

Guidelines matter. Not because I’m obsessed with being perfect, but because without guardrails, bad habits creep in fast. Drinking “just because” on a Tuesday turns into two missed workouts, sloppy nutrition, and losing momentum you worked hard to build.

Arnold once told me, “It’s okay to have a little dysfunction with all that discipline.”

Have fun, but stay in control.