After two serious injuries, a Cape Town trainer plans around yours

Jason Jeffcote was born in Cape Town and moved to KwaZulu-Natal when he was two. He spent sixteen years there before coming back to the Cape as a teenager. In KZN he played sport, and sport was where he was heading, until a truck hit him and he suffered fractures in both legs.

He describes it on his website without drama. The accident ended the athletic career he had been building, and what followed was rehabilitation. Somewhere in that long stretch of exercises, setbacks and slow progress, he found what he wanted to do with his working life.

From patient to trainer

Jason went on to study personal training, sports science and sports nutrition. Rehab had shown him how much a body can recover when the work is done carefully, and how much depends on the person guiding it.

Later he came through a physical attack that needed brain surgery. He says a healthy, active lifestyle has helped him recover and look after both his body and his mind. He writes that he is grateful to be where he is today, and that he wants to share his love of fitness with people who are looking to improve their physical and mental health.

Training built around what you bring

Jayfit is his own practice, and most sessions happen in a private gym at Ryda Fitness in the East City, on De Villiers Avenue in District Six. Everything begins with a conversation. Jason asks about your goals, your fitness history and what you enjoy, then builds a programme that fits your life instead of fitting you to a template.

Injuries are part of that conversation. Existing injuries are worked around in training, and safety comes first. For someone nursing a bad knee or returning after a break from exercise, that is the practical difference between a programme they can keep doing and one that sends them back to the physio.

The options are wide. There is general fitness with accountability, bodybuilding with coaching on form and technique, weight loss and maintenance, and a dedicated injury rehab programme with modified routines and a focus on preventing the next problem. Boxing sessions work on technique, footwork and conditioning. Visitors to Cape Town can book holiday training for a short stretch, so a trip does not have to mean a lost routine.

Sessions run 45 minutes, one-on-one or in small groups of two to four, at hours flexible enough to fit work and family. His FAQ suggests three sessions a week for most people, with beginners starting at two. Progress is tracked through an initial assessment and monthly reviews, so the numbers show whether the plan is working.

Food that fits a real week

Nutrition is part of the same service. Jason looks at what a client eats, then builds meal plans around their training, their food preferences and their lifestyle. The aim differs by goal: more calories from nutrient-dense food for muscle gain, a calorie deficit for weight loss.

He is clear that none of it needs to be grim. “This doesn't mean your diet has to be boring or tasteless,” he writes on the Jayfit nutrition page, and the plans leave room for meals with family and friends.

The training is meant to suit all fitness levels and ages. Clients who live elsewhere, or who cannot get to the gym, can train through online coaching, which gives the same personalised guidance and accountability from anywhere.

Where to find him

The first session is free, so you can meet Jason, talk through your history and see whether the fit is right before you commit to anything. Message Jason on WhatsApp at +27 82 770 9919 or on Instagram at @jayfit_za to book it.