My First Give Away

Well, here I go, jumping into a give away, something I thought I'd never do.

I feel like doing something very positive and giving back right now.

So, what brings me great joy that I'd love to share? The FIRM. Specifically, The FIRM tapes that were made in 2001 and before.

Do you love 80s leg warmers? The leotards that made women's legs look a mile long? Can you say cheese? Yup, the outfits in these tapes are cheesy, but they were popular in their time. The thing is, they are absolutely fantastic workouts. You don't even think about what they're wearing, you're too busy working hard to notice.

So, I am going to give just one DVD away. I'm cheap, what can I say. Actually, I'm on a budget. The winner gets to choose which DVD they want.

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A little FIRM history. It started long ago as a studio, The Body Firm, in Columbia, South Carolina. They also had a studio in Charleston, South Carolina. Eventually, in 1986, they produced their first VHS home workout with Susan Harris. It is one tough workout. A lot of critics said that Susan was too sexy and breathy with her voice. Believe me, if you're working out to this and want to talk, you'll be breathy, too. It has the toughest floor leg workout I've ever done. Their second FIRM tape was with Janet Jones, and rumor has it that Mr. Gretzky proposed during the production. This is Volume 2, which is my favorite.

Anna Benson, her husband Mark Henrickson and her sister Cynthia founded The FIRM. The production quality is amazing...in sync music, classical set, excellent workouts. No exercise video I've ever seen comes close to matching the production quality of the old FIRMS. Then one day in 2001 they sold to Good Times because of a lawsuit with a former employee, which is still on appeal. Sad, big loss for the rest of us. Good Times eventually sold to Gaiam, and The FIRM is still in production, there is still a studio in Columbia, but to me, it doesn't have the appeal of the Benson/Benson/Henrickson videos. (Although it's still very good--just not the same.)

Also important to note is that there are different types of workouts in The "Old" FIRM. They have some that are all weights, some called tortoises which are 75% weights and 25% cardio--slow and heavy; the classics, which were the first six volumes and are 50-50 weights/cardio, hares which are 25% weights and 75% cardio--light and fast, and then just some cardio workouts.

You do need weights for these workouts, and they recommend 3-, 5- and 8-pound weights to start out. Some require a tall or short box, which is now known as a Fanny Lifter. An aerobic step will work. When I started out, I didn't even use my step! Some require a barbell, but you can substitute with free weights or a body sculpting stick, like I do. Also, a 48-inch dowel for balance in some routines, and you can use a broom or mop for that! One even uses a weight ball, but you could just hold a dumbbell instead.

Anna Benson has re-mastered many of the old workouts and is now selling them on DVD. They are chaptered, and she has done a wonderful job. You can see long clips on You Tube, which I've linked to.

So in my little give away, you may choose:

Volume 1 with Susan Harris (Body Sculpting Basics)
Volume 2 with Janet Jones Gretzky (Low Impact Aerobics)
Volume 3 with Sandahl Bergman (Aerobic Workout with Weights)
Volume 4 with Susan Harris and Kai Soremekun (Time Crunch)
Volume 6 with Jayne Poteet (Boomers)

These are all classics, 50-50. I must note that their low-impact aerobics is actually high impact. I modify to low-impact.

The Tortoise with Tracie Long -- this a tortoise, 75% weights/25% aerobics and has ballroom steps.

The Hare with Tracie Long --this is a hare, which complements The Tortoise. Also, ballroom music, the Charleston, etc. These two are dancier than the rest.

Better Body and Buns--this is a tortoise. This is one of my favorites, and I get major DOMS from this.

Sculpting with Weights with Tracie Long. This is geared to beginners, but it's definitely NOT easy! It's a great tortoise tape.

Maximum Cardio with Carissa Foster. This is a Hare, and it's tough. I own it, but haven't done it yet. I've watched it a few times and I don't quite have the stamina yet--plus I have to figure out low-impact substitutes for the high-impact work. A weighted ball is needed for some segments in this.

Tough Tape with Tracie Long -- this is all weights and it is tough.

Now for the contest rules.

There will be one winner.

1. Enter the contest below by leaving a comment.

You may also enter a second time.

2. Blog about it, and leave a comment with a link letting me know you have done so.

Make sure you leave a way for me to let you know you've won!

I don't twitter, tweet or any of that, so we'll just leave it to these two.

Entry deadline is noon central time on October 28. I will announce a winner that evening. I will order the DVD and have it sent to me, then will forward it on. I will note that Anna does not seal the cases of the DVDs. So when you get it, don't assume I opened it up and played it! I wouldn't do that, and I own all these anyway, even if most are on VHS. lol

One final comment: I won't be offended if there are not a lot of entries! I fully realize that the style and the outfits may be very off-putting to some. However, if you have an open mind or have lived through and loved the 80s/90s, it won't even phase you. The bottom line is that these are quality workouts, and many people still love and do them. They're very common on many of the video exercise boards.