The Story of North End Fitness & Training
North End Fitness & Training is a locally owned fitness and training facility in New Rochelle, NY, offering personalized coaching, group fitness, kids and teens fitness programs, family-focused programming, and strength & conditioning for people of all ages and abilities.
Our story begins with Coach Phil Censoprano, who has been training clients since 2010. After earning his Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from Gettysburg College, Phil opened CrossFit POP alongside partners Nick Schoonmaker and Robert Gorvetzian in New Rochelle in November 2013. Together, they built a fitness community in New Rochelle centered on expert coaching, functional strength, and helping people at every stage of life discover what they were capable of.
From 2013 to 2020, CrossFit POP grew into a strong community, known for its welcoming, close-knit atmosphere and that “friend-time feel” that made people want to keep coming back. Over the years, Phil expanded the program beyond traditional adult CrossFit, creating training opportunities for kids and teens while also developing programs for targeted groups, like seniors, women, and athletes.
Then COVID changed the path forward. Like so many small businesses, Phil and the CrossFit POP community faced an uncertain future. But the commitment to coaching, community, and helping people stay strong never wavered. When the gym closed, Phil found new ways to keep people moving and connected — leading physical education classes over Zoom, hosting outdoor workouts at Huguenot Park, and even running classes out of his family's two-car garage.
In 2024, a new chapter began: Phil and his wife, Sara, acquired North End Fitness & Training, bringing together the CrossFit POP community with the foundation of an established New Rochelle fitness facility. Today, Phil leads a team of coaches who share his commitment to professional, personalized, and genuinely caring coaching, while Sara brings more than a decade of experience creating people-first experiences and building strong relationships to help shape the day-to-day experience and future of the North End Fitness & Training community.
In September 2025, North End Fitness began a new partnership with Tennis Innovators Academy, providing sport-specific strength and conditioning for tennis players at every level.
As parents of three young children, Phil and Sara know firsthand how important it is to build a strong foundation for health and confidence from an early age, and how challenging it can be to make time for yourself while raising a family. That personal experience is a big part of why they are so passionate about creating a place where kids, parents, and families across New Rochelle and the surrounding Westchester community can all feel at home. And if you've spent time around the gym, there's a good chance you've met another important member of the North End family: their dog, Apollo, who is always happy to welcome a new friend.
Through every chapter, one thing has remained constant: the belief that fitness is about more than what happens during a workout. It's about building strength for everyday life, creating connections that keep us coming back, and having a community that supports you along the way.
That's what North End Fitness & Training is all about:
We're a training community built around people, and we'd love for you and your family to be part of it, whether you're right here in New Rochelle or somewhere in the wider Westchester community.
Our Approach
Our approach is built around Family. Fitness. FUNction. These three principles that guide how we coach, build community, and help people live stronger, healthier lives.
Family. We believe fitness is better when you feel like you belong. We create a community where people are known by name, supported by their coaches, and encouraged by the people around them.
Fitness. We believe great coaching meets you where you are. Our coaches provide expert, individualized guidance to help you build strength, endurance, mobility, and confidence at every stage of life.
FUNction. We believe fitness should have a purpose beyond the gym. We train to help you move through everyday life with greater strength, capability, and confidence, and to keep doing the things you love for years to come.
Personal Coaching - We're not a traditional big-box gym where you're left to figure it out on your own. Our coaches know your name, understand your goals, and genuinely care about your progress through personal coaching and individualized training.
Purposeful Training - Whether you're here to get stronger, improve your performance, build healthy habits, or feel better in everyday life, your training has a purpose, and we're here to help you reach it.
For Every Stage of Life - From kids discovering movement to athletes chasing a goal, parents balancing busy schedules, and older adults focused on staying strong and independent, our coaching meets you where you are.
Beyond the Gym - We believe the real measure of fitness isn't just what you can do in the gym, but how it helps you move through the rest of your life. The goal? That you walk away stronger, more capable, and ready for whatever comes next.
Why North End Fitness?
Kids & Teens - We help kids and teens develop a positive relationship with movement while building the confidence, coordination, and physical foundation to grow, play, and perform at their best.
Adults & Parents - Whether you're starting fresh, getting back into a routine, or balancing your own health with the demands of work and family, we'll help you get stronger, move better, and feel your best through personal training and group fitness classes.
Athletes - Build strength, power, mobility, and resilience through sport-specific training designed to improve performance, support your sport, and help you stay ready for whatever comes next.
Seniors - Our goal is to help you maintain your strength, mobility, and independence through personal training and group fitness classes, so you can navigate everyday life with confidence and keep doing the things that matter most to you.