DWTS2012 Maks Chmerkovskiy Blogs On Melissa Gilbert, Their Paso Doble, The Pressure, And More (Photo)

Pictured above is Mak’s going into his chiropractor’s office in Los Angeles on April 5th courtesy of Zimbio Pictures. Nice abs! He looks to be in the shape of his life.

Maks has also written a new blog for TV Guide. He writes of how tough rehearsals have been for he and Melissa and how he doesn’t plan to give her any slack. He sympathizes with the celebrities dancers saying learning how to dance must be “almost like solving advanced math problems while doing a crazy physical activity.” Maks also writes of how crazy this season is for who will be eliminated next. You can’t predict. More below and at the link including his thoughts on the new dance off and his new dance studio in Connecticut as well.

Now it’s Week 4 and we’re getting into the thick of things. I would normally say this is when things start to get serious, but it’s been serious from the start! Everybody’s a little confused about who’s gonna get eliminated next because everybody is so good. This is probably an unprecedented season for us. Jack going last week after having a great dance is probably just how it’s gonna be this season. The scoring doesn’t matter at this point. There was what? A six-point spread? And it was a five-way tie for the bottom, so basically there was no bottom. Watching this unfold, you say to yourself, “I need to step up.” But everyone is saying that and everybody’s stepping up. Then it’s a question of how far up can you go? Some couples do have limitations. Some are better, some are younger, some are more energetic, some are more prepared, but everybody’s trying to step it up. The competitiveness kicks in and you go, we’ve gotta do something.

And talk about pressure — we have the paso doble this week and everyone on Twitter keeps telling me that we’re gonna do great because I’ve had success with it in the past. We’re gonna be good — I hope we’ll be good — but I don’t want everyone to have these expectations because every season and every celebrity is different. One thing I’m happy about is that we had accomplished a lot of our routine by Thursday, so we have the weekend to polish it up. We clocked in 11 hours total in our first two rehearsals. I’m pretty sure she wants to go into a coma for a couple of days. She’s so tired that she doesn’t have the energy to say anything and I feel bad, but I’m not cutting her slack. But it’s hard when you’re pushing yourself this much. We were about to walk through the routine from the beginning and she blanked out. I wasn’t even frustrated, but she was frustrated with herself. I wish I could say, “Let’s take tomorrow off. Your body needs to recharge,” but I can’t.

As the days go on, you feel like your nights and rest periods get smaller. I feel like it’s been a 24-hour marathon. We were done at 2 o’clock on Thursday and I was ready to go to sleep! I have to call Val and he’s like, “Bro, I’m freaking out!” We call each other up and we try to keep each other’s spirits up. Melissa deserves to be happy and smiling, and unfortunately it’s not gonna happen on Wednesdays or Thursdays. I’m thinking about what this is like for celebrities who’ve never danced. It’s almost like solving advanced math problems while doing a crazy physical activity. Your body and your mind are at full throttle.

UPDATE: Melissa has written a new blog for People.com. Maks says all she needs to do is “believe”. Below is more. Be sure you read the full blog at the link.

Here’s what I’ve had working against me:
I will be 48 in a few weeks – definitely past retirement for a dancer.
My spine is fused in two places now – last surgery was about a year and half ago.
I was not in the best cardiovascular shape of my life when this started.

Here’s what I have working for me:
I am only 47 years old.
My surgeons are geniuses.
My dance partner, choreographer, teacher and trainer is brilliant. Truly. He’s also incredibly patient (Yes, Maksim Chmerkovskiy is patient-ish). By day three of this week, I stood staring at him like my brains were coming out of my ears. Not a clue where to go, what to do. Completely overloaded.

He said this; “I wish you believed in you like I believe in you.”

Wow! Twenty years of therapy, daily study of religions all over the world, constant attempts at self-improvement and growth … and Maks sums it all up in one sentence.

So, my job this week is to believe.
Believe that I can dance.
Believe that Maks will catch me.
Believe that my life can be limitless.
Believe in love … hope … and trust. After all, those are the words tattooed on my left wrist. It is my family’s motto.
Four simple words that can change everything:

Love, trust, hope, believe.