Hi! I’m 5’4″ and about 120-123 pounds. I’ve coxed for eight years now and am fully aware that my talent is more than my weight, but I met with a trainer today and told him about what I do and he told me that I was “big” for a coxswain, since all the other coxswains he’d heard of apparently were like under 5 feet tall. It stung a little bit, and I’m already trying to get to like 115 for spring… is that too light?

Hi! I’m assuming your trainer isn’t a collegiate strength coach (I assume you’re in college?) or very knowledgeable about crew because that’s a pretty ignorant thing to say. If he is then shame on him. Out of all the coxswains I’ve known since I started crew, I’m the only one that was ever under 5’0″. The majority were in the 5’1″ to 5’5″ish range (although I’m betting there are coxswains who read this who fall outside that range) and about half of them were in the 100-115lbs range naturally. The other half consistently lost weight for racing season (which, for a few, caused its own set of issues) or said “screw that” and coxed for the men’s teams.

If you subscribe to the BMI theory then you’re in a healthy range regardless of whether you’re 115 or 123. I wouldn’t let one person’s comments bother or pressure you that much. Personally I don’t think 115lbs is too light. At the same time though it’s important to consider how your body might react to it.  Even though that’s only a difference of 5-8lbs, if you find you’re having a hard time losing it it’s probably because your body just doesn’t want to be that weight. I’m sure you know about the weight minimums and how it’s generally suggested that you be as close to them as possible, or as I like to say “in a common sense range”, so I won’t get into that. Plus, like you said, one’s talent is more than their weight.