Palisades Fire to Hollywood Riviera: Rebuilding Life & Purpose at 80
On that dry, increasingly windy morning of Jan. 7, 2025, Jeff Grossman drove his dog seven minutes from his Pacific Palisades home to the vet for vaccinations. Dark smoke loomed over the horizon, but he had seen threatening skies before. Then everything changed.
By the time he left the veterinarian’s office, residents were fleeing the Palisades. The normally brief drive home took 90 minutes. Jeff and his wife, Diane, quickly packed a few belongings, assuming they would return the next day.
It was several weeks before they could return to their neighborhood, which was almost totally levelled by the fire. Their house and possessions were destroyed, as was the garage that held Jeff’s thriving strength-training business. But it did not destroy his determination to rebuild.
A Second Career Born at 70
Jeff had spent 35 years in real estate before retiring at age 69. He had always been reasonably active, but he was never what he calls a “hardcore gym guy.”
After retiring, he and Diane committed to being as fit and healthy as they could be for the rest of their lives. Diane found an article about slow-motion, high-intensity strength training — a demanding, full-body workout performed just once a week for about 30 minutes. They tried the method at a Brentwood studio and loved the results.
One day Diane pointed out that Jeff had spent much of his real estate career teaching and mentoring new agents. “You’re a great trainer; you can train people in these workouts.” Jeff was 70 years old and skeptical, but Diane was persistent and convinced him to go for it.
He spent 9 months earning his personal training certification and becoming proficient at coaching people in the slow-motion, high-intensity strength training method. Again with Diane’s urging, he opened The Workout Garage inside their Pacific Palisades garage.
The business grew rapidly thanks to Nextdoor recommendations and word of mouth. At its peak, Jeff had more than 100 clients and conducted as many as 65 private sessions a week. He attributes the remarkable success of his business to the ever-increasing scientific evidence of how important it is to maintain muscle mass and strength as we age
Finding Home and Hope in Hollywood Riviera
After the fire, the Grossmans found temporary refuge in Redondo Beach through one of their daughter’s friends. They soon fell in love with the area’s relaxed atmosphere, proximity to two grandchildren and walkability to Riviera Village.
They also felt very lucky to find Igor, who helped them find a new home in exactly the neighborhood they wanted in the Hollywood Riviera. “This is more us than the Palisades; we’re beyond happy.”
Reopening The Workout Garage
Now 80, Jeff is once again transforming a garage into a place where neighbors can become stronger and healthier. The new Workout Garage offers private, one-on-one strength-training sessions using heavy-duty resistance bands. Exercises are performed slowly and deliberately, without momentum, and each workout is tailored to the client’s abilities and physical limitations.
Sessions last about 30 minutes and are generally completed once a week, allowing the muscles time to recover. There are no group classes, crowds or social pressure. As the Workout Garage website puts it: “No music. No juice bar. No social scene.” The focus is entirely on a safe, controlled and closely supervised workout.
A majority of Jeff’s former clients were women between 50 and 75 who want to maintain muscle, improve balance and support bone health. The program can be adapted for beginners and people managing previous injuries or joint problems.
Jeff says his own strength has helped him stop himself during a couple of near-falls. Diane, now 73, believes she’s stronger than she’s ever been.
Losing their home changed the couple’s feelings about possessions. What Jeff missed most was not the clothing or furniture, but his clients and the sense of purpose his work provided. Now that purpose is returning.
After losing nearly everything, Jeff Grossman is starting his next chapter the same way he conducts his workouts: slowly, deliberately and one determined repetition at a time.
To learn more and to schedule a free introductory session, go to workoutgarage.com or email Jeff at jeff@workoutgarage.com.