THE obstacle course: a 200m quick sprint, 20 step-ups, 20 tricep dips, a 100m quick sprint, wall climbs, a 50m sprint to pick up a tyre, a 100m sprint with the tyre, more wall climbs, a 200m sprint to truck tyres, then flipping those tyres six times to complete the course.

Sounds difficult?

This was after three other challenges which included planking or holding the body in an elevated position off the ground in a straight line; a 400m sprint hot lap challenge; and a burpee challenge.

Did we mention this was in the wee hours of the morning while most people were still asleep? On Monday, April 7 fitness enthusiasts who are members of TrueForm Fitness stepped up the Digicel Samsung S5 Challenge in a hope to not only see first-hand the health features of the phone at work but also for one member to walk away with one of the handheld devices, before it is launched in Jamaica.

Touted as the “perfect marriage of technology and health” by Senior Sponsorship Manager at Digicel Tahnida Nunes, the Samsun S5 comes equipped with a heart rate sensor, an ‘S Health’, which acts as your personal fitness tracker – leading you through your daily fitness routine by tracking your condition, walking distance, calories, speed, and duration.

Physiotherapist and founder of TueForm Fitness Jahir Lyons, said, “Persons often accuse technology as a factor of laziness, so it’s impressive that Samsung has seen it fit to integrate it into their software features that help to promote and track a healthy lifestyle.

“The ruggedness of the phone, it being waterproof, adds to the appeal to a person with an active lifestyle,” Lyons added.

So the Sunday Observer decided to get a fitness enthusiast to give us their take on the Samsung S5. And who better to do this than Chad Hammond, the person who demolished the obstacle course and copped the phone for himself.

His fitness journey began about four years ago when he decided to lose weight. Though he has not yet reached his target weight, which Hammond told the Sunday Observer is a “never-ending process”, Hammond has dropped more than 30 pounds, moving from 245 to 196 pounds while also building muscles.

While admitting that he did not participate in sports while growing up, Hammond said he has always been competitive. It is this streak that has kept him motivated over the years and may well have led to him topping the group that was vying for the phone.

His weekly routine, which he describes as “very high intensity”: boot camp at 5:30 am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; Running between four and 12 miles on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and hitting the gym most evenings for cardio and weights training.

HAMMOND’S TAKE ON THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S5

* Waterproof: I sweat a lot and it has caused issues with other phones in the past, so that is definitely a bonus.

* Heart rate monitor: I check this every now and then to make sure everything is normal just after working out.

* Pedometer: I use this to track my steps to see how many footsteps I make on a daily basis and also when I am running. It is pretty accurate.

* Calorie tracker: It is accurate on the calorie count as well.

Hammond also said there are other capabilities he is yet to use, but that he has also added his preferred applications to the Samsung S5 as his journey to losing more fat and gaining more muscles continues.