The Beginner’s Blog: Entry 1
by James Deberg | RXSG Social Media Manager
As the newest member of the RX Smart Gear team, I’ve had the opportunity to be surrounded by a wonderful group of professionals who have spent the better part of the past two months educating me on the world of CrossFit: the culture behind it, the workouts, and of course, the wonderful gear that we make and sell here at RXSG.
The Open (like my new job here at this company) is a fresh opportunity for people to test their skills and show the world what they’re made of. As someone who has only just ventured into the CF space, the two Open workouts that have been announced so far seem extreme, and I really enjoy the high-intensity environment that surrounds the competitive space.
My read on the situation so far is this: preparation is key, great gear is important, and effort is everything. CrossFit is a “get what you give” sport where the separation between the seven-days-a-week athletes and the weekend warriors is apparent (I, myself, am a weekend warrior—and that’s just fine!).
We have just one week left of the Open, and as I am typing this on Wednesday, the 12th of March, the excitement of the final workout being announced tomorrow at noon is alive in conversation throughout the office. In the vast scope of the internet, you can literally feel the tide of each social media feed swell with relevant content the moment these workouts are announced. People are hungry for information, tips, and advertisements for gear (maybe I’m a bit biased here), and it’s so interesting to see an athletic community come alive in such a way.
Now, I may be new here, but I’ve gained a lot of knowledge in recent weeks, and I’ll do my best to reiterate some tips I’ve picked up from navigating the space and consulting professionals over the past few months.
First and foremost, as I mentioned earlier, preparation is key—so prepare for those classic Open movements. If history tells us anything, certain movements are almost guaranteed to show up. The 2025 Open has already featured classic combinations like thrusters and double-unders.
Here are some movements to have on point:
● Double-unders
● Toes-to-bar / chest-to-bar pull-ups
● Wall walks / handstand push-ups
● Thrusters
● Snatches & clean and jerks (with dumbbells or barbells)
● Rowing or jump rope work
● Burpees
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If these movements and exercises are all but guaranteed, it seems like a no-brainer to have all of this stuff dialed in long before the workouts are announced. As a weekend warrior and jump rope company employee, I’m gonna stick to mastering the double-unders first.
To touch on the point I mentioned about great gear being very important, I’d like to recommend the RXSG CustomFit Jump Rope to anyone starting out their jump rope journey, or anyone still looking to string together 50 double-unders or more. It feels great in your hand and is easy to use while learning to control those double-unders. It also comes in almost a billion different color combinations, so you can really make it your own.
Moving past that seamless transition into product placement (I bet none of you even noticed), I’d like to touch on another tip I saw a prominent CrossFit coach mention that I feel is important to note: “Have FUN & embrace the challenge.”
At the end of the day, athletic competition—and sports in general—are supposed to challenge us. Whether you’re crushing personal records or struggling through burpees, it’s all part of the journey. If you’re nervous, that means you care. If you make a mistake, have a laugh about it and hit it harder the next time around.
As far as making mistakes goes, it’s totally fine. And make sure to set realistic goals and really celebrate your wins. If you achieved something you set your mind to, that’s always a big W in my book.
I appreciate anyone reading here. Whether you're a weekend athlete like myself or an absolute CrossFit / Hyrox / WFP legend looking to make a name for yourself, I hope I could bring some joy or entertainment to your week with my wonderful blog.
If you’re reading this between Thursday the 13th and Monday the 17th (Saint Patrick's Day, by the way), we have a 20% off sale going on our website to celebrate the last week of the Open—use code → OPENRX and get yourself hooked up and “dripped out,” as the kids say these days. I’m sitting here trying to decide if that was the funniest or most embarrassing part of this blog—but either way, I’m gonna avoid that backspace button and laugh through it, just like my mistake tripping over my fifth double-under in 25.2.
I hope you all have a wonderful week.
Cheers,
James