The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by

Gaiam Gaia, Inc., formerly Gaiam, is an American alternative media video streaming service and online community focusing on fringe-science and yoga. Founded by Jirka Rysavy in 1988, its brands include Gaiam TV; the latter's name was changed to Gaia ...

. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of

aerobic exercise Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities, cardio or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, inv ...

and

weight training Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength, size of skeletal muscles and maintenance of strength.Keogh, Justin W, and Paul W Winwood. “Report for: The Epidemiology of Injuries Across the Weight-Trai ...

History

In 1979, Anna Benson founded the exercise studio The Body Firm (later The FIRM Studios) in Charleston and

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-largest ...

. She recruited her sister Cynthia Benson and husband Mark Henriksen under the Meridian Films label to co-produce a series of exercise videos filmed there between 1986 and 1994. It quickly established itself as a competitor to personalities like Jane Fonda. A lawsuit brought against Meridian Films in 2001 over royalties forced The FIRM to be sold to

GoodTimes Entertainment GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was an American home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well known due to its distribution of media from third parties and ...

. Gaiam purchased GoodTimes in 2005 and subsequently expanded The FIRM, focusing on women's fitness. Anna Benson started Fitness Favorites, which became the official online store for the original videos after her death in 2009. After her death, Anna's son became owner of the Classic The FIRM and has released Anna's 'classic' DVDs from VHS format. The FIRM Studios was renamed The Flex Body/The FLEX in 2015 and is owned by Emily Welsh. In 2018, Anna Benson's Fitness Favorites renamed The FIRM (classic) to Anna L. Benson's The Body Firm. Now, Fitness Favorites is also streaming workouts.

References

External links

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Fitness Favorites
*https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1352574.Firm_for_Life {{DEFAULTSORT:Firm (brand), The Exercise organizations Aerobic exercise 1979 establishments in South Carolina Exercise-related trademarks