The Firm (brand)

The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training.

This article is about the exercise brand. For other uses, see Firm (disambiguation).
The FIRM
OwnerGaiam (2005)
CountryUnited States
Introduced1979
Previous owners

History

In 1979, Anna Benson founded the exercise studio The Body Firm (later The FIRM Studios) in Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina. 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.[1]

A lawsuit brought against Meridian Films in 2001 over royalties[2] forced The FIRM to be sold to GoodTimes Entertainment. 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.[3] 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
  1. Krucoff, Carol (1991-03-05). "BATTLE THE BULGE WITH HOME EXERCISE VIDEOS". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
  2. Davis v. Meridian Films, Inc. 00-1359. Retrieved from http://www.ca4.uscourts.gov/Opinions/Unpublished/001359.U.pdf
  3. Holleman, Joey. "'Firm Believers' lose a friend". The State. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
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