Marine Infantry leader and stroke survivor bench-presses 315 lbs. after hitting near record numbers in age-category in previous sets<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Christopher David Carter<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sixty-seven-year old stroke survivor and formerly deployed U.S. Marine Infantry leader W. Thomas Smith Jr. bench-pressed 315 lbs. for a one-rep max following equally impressive sets of 225, 275, 295, and 305 lbs. while strength-training at One Life Fitness in Columbia, Friday, July 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The max-day workout session comes on the heels of Smith\u2019s having earned a berth on the list of \u201cbench-press champions\u201d who successfully bench-pressed 250 lbs. as part of the Richland County Sheriff\u2019s Department\u2019s 250 Bench-Press Challenge commemorating America\u2019s 250th birthday during Independence Week 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last week, Smith also logged 225 lbs. for 14 repetitions, placing him well within the \u201celite\u201d category based on all metrics for his age, 67, and weight; 198-200 lbs. at 5\u201911\u2019\u2019 and lining him up for this week\u2019s successful attempt and subsequent personal record (PR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe previous week was exceptional for Tom, but Friday\u2019s 315 workout was nothing short of monstrous,\u201d said Bruce Brutschy, a 10th-degree Black Belt, martial arts tournament champion, and fitness instructor who is setting his own bench records at age 74. \u201cTom has become a legend in the gym. Most guys his age, especially after having suffered a stroke, become invisible in the eyes of others. Not so with Tom who is held in some sense of awe by powerlifters and strength athletes much younger than he is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sir\u2019Saleem Stokes, a 19-year-old former Benedict College offensive lineman who transferred to Fayetteville State University, agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an awesome experience to workout with Tom,\u201d said Stokes who has trained with Smith several times since early June. \u201cHe pushes me every time we get on the bench he always asks for one more rep. That\u2019s just how he is. He\u2019s always working to get us both stronger. Plus, you never see someone his age hitting 315 lbs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith\u2019s athletic feat is all the more remarkable considering several major simultaneous strokes he suffered in May 2024. Within days of being of being released from hospital and with the blessing of his team of physicians, Smith was back in the gym and training to limits. \u201cIt was exhausting, I won\u2019t pretend otherwise. Still is,\u201d he says. \u201cBut strength-training saved my life in 2024 \u2013 that according to all the medical experts \u2013 and it is absolutely aiding in my continued recovery in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Smith\u2019s personal record on bench follows several recent strength-and-power milestones, including a 410-lbs. static (isometric) hold on bench and a 738 lbs. leg-press PR set last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStatic holds have been a gamechanger for me on bench and almost certainly aided in my hitting 315,\u201d Smith says. \u201cThe static hold reps not only strengthen my wrists, joints, and tendons, but static holds condition my brain to handle extreme weight, build confidence, and prime my central nervous system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brandon Mohtassem, general manager of One Life Fitness-Sandhills, served as \u2018spotter\u2019 for Smith during his 315 max PR, Friday morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTom is a beast, and now a member of the three-plate club,\u201d said Mohtassem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an article (published May 11 \u2013 https:\/\/thenewirmonews.com\/military-hall-of-famer-achieves-elite-physical-fitness-milestones\/<\/a>) world-champion martial artist Keith Vitali, a Hollywood martial-arts movie star (who fought Jackie Chan) and who was the #1-ranked U.S. karate champion for three consecutive years, said Smith\u2019s perseverance is what has defined him in the gym. \u201cTom is an excellent example of someone who \u2013 despite major health challenges at a later age \u2013 has not been deterred from achieving even greater strength training achievements,\u201d Vitali said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In that same article, Vitali\u2019s younger brother, retired USMC Col. Steve Vitali, said: \u201cA Marine leader like Tom is the kind of man who will fight his way through hellfire and brick walls to achieve what lesser men only dream of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to his USMC Infantry background, Smith is a retired S.C. Military Department (SCMD) colonel, founding director of SCMD\u2019s first counterterrorism task force; a current special deputy with the Richland County Sheriff\u2019s Department; an internationally recognized counterterrorism instructor, a multi-war combat correspondent and a New York Times bestselling editor. His recent recognition as an amateur strength-athlete stems from decades of physical training which previously included running and remote-wilderness rucking. \u201cWe called it \u2018humping\u2019 in the Marines,\u201d Smith says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smith\u2019s 315-lbs. bench-press PR surpasses a 305 bench PR he set in his twenties prior to taking a strength training hiatus for many years. He returned to strength training in 2018 at age 59.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0Kwabena ‘Kwa’ Brenya, a fitness instructor and trainer for NIKE basketball and the NBA, has previously worked with Smith on technique and breathing. \u201cThere are powerlifting strongmen, then there are older athletes like Thomas Smith defying the odds,\u201d said Brenya. \u201cWhat I’ve seen in this man is consistency. He shows up, pushes like an animal beyond his natural strength limitations, and refuses to quit. Most men don\u2019t have that kind of tenacity and resolve. Some do. It’s extremely rare.\u201d Faith has also been a key factor in Smith\u2019s strength pursuits. \u201cI literally pray out-loud between sets, though whispering so as not to disturb or unsettle others around me,\u201d he says. \u201cI pray for those spotting me. I pray for my gym-bros around me and gym staff, their families and my own. And I pray for God\u2019s strength in each of my lifts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apparently, it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2013 Chris Carter is a former semi-pro football player and U.S. Air Force veteran whose articles have appeared in Ops Lens, Human Events, Canada Free Press, The National Law Review, The Florida Times Union, Deutsche Welle, and NavySEALs.com among other publications.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Marine Infantry leader and stroke survivor bench-presses 315 lbs. after hitting near record numbers in age-category in previous sets By Christopher David Carter Sixty-seven-year old stroke survivor and formerly deployed U.S. Marine Infantry leader W. Thomas Smith Jr. bench-pressed 315 lbs. for a one-rep max following equally impressive sets ofContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8771,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[31,40],"tags":[505,1363],"class_list":["entry","author-john-griggs","post-8770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-community-news","category-military","tag-health-and-fitness","tag-strength-training"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gpstrianglenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Thomas-Bench-Press_2026_630x350.jpg?fit=630%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8770"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8784,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8770\/revisions\/8784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gpstrianglenews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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