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The Firm Fitness video series

To buy Firm workouts: Active Videos

The Firm studio was founded in 1979 by the sisters Anna and Cynthia Benson and Anna's husband Mark Hendrikson. More than twenty years ago, this method was a revolutionary fitness program, one that combined weight training with aerobics. Up to this day, the FIRM is still going strong, but it has had some struggles.

"Friends" who were in on the Classics' filming decided they wanted more of a piece of the pie than what the BBH trio thought they were entitled.  Mark designed the set, and this person /people said he/they had something to do with it, and took BBH to court.  BBH won after *years* of litigation, but resulted in The FIRM pretty much having nothing due to all the legal fees.  They had to sell or The FIRM would die. 

In 2000, the original trio sold the rights to the FIRM name and workout style to Goodtimes. The pre-goodtimes workouts are very different in style and videography and to some of the 'FirmBelievers' the only 'true' FIRM workouts. The later FIRM workouts are perceived to be of less intensity, but I believe you can make any workout as hard or easy as you want to, just vary the weights you use, and make sure you are using good form throughout the workout. Use full range of motion.

After the Firm was sold to Goodtimes, Anna Benson has started her own company, Fitprime. She had "retired" to her farm, and taught some small classes there, experimenting with different things (non-dominant training). At the start-up she had former firm instructors Susan Harris (vol. 1 & 4) and Tracie Long (Tortoise and Hare) on her team. The FitPrime video's have much of the same feel as the early Firms.

Tracie Long (from the Firm's 'Tortoise' and 'Hare') now has her own gym, called V,  in Charleston and has her own fitness video production company called Tracie Long Productions which focuses on functional fitness.

Latest news:

(August 2004)
The original Firm trio (Anna Benson, Cynthia Benson and Mark Hendrikson) have re-united and will film 12 new workouts this fall. Read more

Because the titles of Firm workouts are confusing and can change when they are re-released or released to retail, here's a list of all the Firm workouts to date:

The Firm Classics
- The series that started it all!

• Vol 1 - Body Sculpting Basics - Susan Harris
• Vol 2 - Janet Jones
• Vol 3 - Sandahl Bergman
• Vol 4 - Time Crunch workout - Susan Harris & Kai Soremakum
• Vol 5 - La Reine Chabut
• Vol 6 - Jaynee Poteet

The Firm "Parts"
- a series of new workouts compiled from the six classics:

• Tough aerobic Mix
• Not-So-Tough Aerobic Mix
• Upper Body
• Standing Legs
• Floor Legs
• 5 day Abs
• 5 day Stretch

The Crosstrainers:

• The Tortoise - Tracie Long
• The Hare - Tracie Long

The Firm "Parts"
- a series of new workouts compiled from the Tortoise and the Hare:

• Ballroom Aerobics - Tracie Long
• Tough Tape - Tracie Long
• Lie Down and Workout aka - Tracie Long

The Firm Crosstrainers:

• Firm Cardio aka Variety Strong Heart - Heidi Tanner
• Firm Strength aka Variety Strong Body - Pam Cauthen

The Firm Tri-Trainers

• Fat Blaster aka All Cardio - Lisa Kay, Nancy Tucker, Allie Strickland
• Better Body & Buns - Jen Peluso, Jen Carman, Taber Bruner
• Maximum Body Shaping aka All Weights - Tracie Long

The Firm "Parts"
a series of new workouts compiled from the Tri-Trainers set and Variety crosstrainers:

• Tough Tape 2
• More 5 day abs
• Tough Cardio Mix

The Firm Prime Powers

• Prime Power Upper Body aka PP Total Body - Stacey Millner Collins
• Prime Power Lower Body aka Lower Body Shaping - Kim Bartlett

The Firm Basics

• Fat Burning - Stacey Millner Collins & Jen Carman
• Abs Buns Thighs - Stacey Millner Collins
• Sculpting with weights - Tracie Long

The Split-series
 - A "parts-series from all the FIRM workouts (including the -then upcoming- Firm-Cardio series) except the classics and the Supers.

• Upper Body Split
• Lower Body Split

The Blasts!
 - A "parts"-series from the (then upcoming) Firm-Cardio-series:

• Bust & Butt
• Core Cardio 1
• Core Cardio 2

Firm Cardio-series:

• Power Cardio aka Calorie Killer 2 - Dale Brabham
• Cardio Burn - Tamela Hastie
• Maximum Cardio - Carissa Foster

The Super Set:

• Super Cardio (Mix)
• Super Sculpting
• Cardio Split 1 (a "parts"-workout from Super Cardio and Super Sculpting)

A parts-series
from all the FIRM workouts, except the classics. This is the last series from the Benson, Benson, Hendrikson trio.

• Total Body Shaping Mix
• Cardio Step Mix
• Boot Camp 3-in-1 Mix

Body Sculpting 1 set (2002)

The first series under Goodtimes Entertainment introducing the new 3-in-1 Fanny Lifter. There are 3 versions of this fanny lifter.

The first was the proto type that was made for the filming of the infomercial. This one has a black rubber mat on the top.
The second one is solely made of the purple and blue plastic and has non-skid embossed circles on the top. This one appeared to be of inferiour quality, so a third one was made.
The third improved Fanny Lifter has embossed warnings in the corners of the top surface ('Do Not Jump on Fanny Lifter' and 'Weight limit not to exceed 300 lbs').

• Body Sculpt - Jen Carman
• Cardio Sculpt - Allie Del Rio
• Ab Sculpt - Lisa Kay

• Super Body Sculpt - Stephanie Corley
• Super Cardio Sculpt -
• Body Sculpt Blaster
• Cardio Sculpt Blaster
• Lower Body Sculpt 1 - Lisa Kay
• Lower Body Sculpt 2 - Libby Heath

Body Sculpting 2 set (2003)

The Body Sculpting 2 set introduced the 3-in-1 sculpting stick. A weighted bar with removable ends (twigs). There are two versions of this sculpting stick.

The first one is hollow in the middle and made of plastic that could easily break in the hollow parrt in the middle, when the sculpting stick is dropped.
The second one has metal all the way through.

• Complete Aerobics and Weight Training - Emily
• Total Body Sculpt plus Abs - Jen Carman
• Maximum Cardio Burn - Allie Del Rio

• Firm Abs - Nancy Tucker
• Firm Upper Body - Janet Brooks
• Calorie Killer - Nancy Tucker

The Firm with Sculpting Stick-VHS

Body Sculpting 3 set (2004)

The Body Sculpting 3 set introduced the 3-in-1 step box. A rectangular shaped step that has 3 positions, a 6 inch height for step aerobics, a 14 inch height for the Firm's signature move 'Leg Press' and an incline position to target the back of the legs.

There are two versions of the Firm's 3-in-1 box. The new and improved box started shipping in August 2004. See the differences.

• Fat Blasting Cardio - Lisa Kay
• Total Muscle Shaping - Stephanie Huckabee
• Complete Body Sculpting - Christa Suggs

• Firm Yoga - Kirsten
• Express Total Body Shaping - Pam Cauthen Meriwether
• Firm Hips, Abs & Thighs - Pam Cauthen Meriwether
• Advanced Cardio Blast - Lisa Kay
• Express Cardio - Stephanie Huckabee

The TransFIRMer Series (2005)

After years of perfecting their techniques, The FIRM® now brings you their latest offering—The TransFIRMer Series™! By combining brand-new, specially developed equipment with experienced FIRM® Master Instructors, this series is their best yet! The new TransFIRMer™ was designed with multiple uses in mind, and has 4 different configurations to take your workout to the next level

• Aerobic Body Shaping - Allie del Rio
• Supercharged Sculpting - Pam Cauthen Meriwether
• Ultimate Calorie Blaster

• Jiggle Free Abs
• Jiggle Free Buns
• Jiggle Free Arms