John Brown of Ordinary, competing at 181 pounds, bench pressed 315 pounds this spring for a personal best … but lost his multi-year title in the Fort Bragg Bench Press Competition to a newcomer.

Brown, who is 52 and retired from the Army, came in second place in the 35-and-older competitive group. Last year, a 300-pound lift gained him the first-place prize. He said the winner is still in the Army and probably just over the 35-year entry level.

Demonstrating his strength at the Gloucester branch of Riverside Wellness and Fitness, with spotting by facility director Rob Kane, Brown said "the key to the bench press is consistency."

He said if he took a month or so off, when returning he would probably have to stop at 225 pounds. It takes time to build strength, he said, and vowed to keep up his training year round until the 2013 bench press contest at Fort Bragg. "You gotta stick with it." He wants a new personal best, but won’t set a number, and h...