Things To Do In Los Angeles: Lazrfit: Have You Tried The Laser Tag Work Out?

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Lazrfit: Have You Tried The Laser Tag Work Out?

by Jonathan Bilski

On a weekend not long ago we thought we entered a regular gym, that was at least the set up when you first enter Lazrfit. Located downtown, not that far from the Convention Center is a seemingly average gym with a somewhat strange name. You might think it's a brand focus, like laser fit accuracy on getting your weight down. No. It has you shooting lasers at each other.

When we first arrived in the seemingly average gym we were welcomed by Lucie Colin Robert and then shortly by her pumped husband Philip Du Lac, who doesn't want you to call him that. He wants you to call him Tarzan.

Tarzan was all in right away. Personality wise this guy was more than happy to show us around and share with us the concept behind the place all while we were still in awe of the laser tag arena we had never seen before.

Tarzan showed us his new type of gym, modern hits played around us as Tarzan took us aside from the front of the building.

Your laser gun

We entered the back and to our surprise he showed us the new gear that he was more than proud of, heck, it was custom made. So forget the laser guns you got when you played laser tag at someones birthday when you were nine. This new baby borrows a bit from the film Predator. Three laser dots fire out to show you where you striking, in the center of those dots is where the actual detected "laser" comes out. That means accuracy goes way up from when you've last played laser tag.

This isn't your best friend's birthday party, you've go to aim well to get shots in. You're wearing a custom chest plate with LEDs on it. You can aim for not only the center, you can also aim for the shoulders and the gun itself. It'll display where your hit in red.

You won't be allowed to fire unless the equipment detects you've worked for it. That means moving. You've got to move, run in place, or just do something so your gear detects that your still active and you'll earn your way back in the game.

So camping is out of the game, you've got to move. Forget walking, you're working out.

Every time a game starts your locker will have your name or really your gear will display it on your gun. You'll find it and then gear up.

*They do have left and right blasters.
*They wash the chest plates after the matches as they have an easy way to remove the electronics from the the part making contact with your sweat.
*You sign a waiver the first time you play.

The arena is like a wonderland. Tarzan demonstrated his namesake by jumping in the air and shooting the other players with ease. The wooden obstacles, the walls, they are there not only for you to hide behind, there also there for you to jump over.

Tarzan told me your not suppose to stay on top of them that's against the rules your suppose to get your body over them for quick attacks. No climbing. They were designed for players to jump off of get a second of air to fire and get back in the game.

*Maximum is 12 people in a round

Games are fast and intense. Build up your stamina and strength if you plan on coming or you'll need to build it up while there. This is a work out, a real work out. Sure, they warm you up with some exercises outside of the arena to stretch you out and to get your blood flowing. You have an onslaught of action ahead of you.

After suiting up it's a high intensity game. It was fun, fast and still a a form of play. You're running around the arena trying to dodge attacks. You're hiding, you're moving, there's not a down time until the match is over. In that time a few minutes can seem like an eternity. The first level of match is eight minutes and you might scoff at that, but it takes it all out of you. And that's when they add time to each round. No, you've got to endure and strike.

After the match/es you'll want to cool down, grab a drink and then check out who got the most shots in or check out the calories you burned. All that custom gear has a read out at the end of the match that you can check out. It's a great way to see how you can improve and what your working for.

Tarzan was probably the best part, he motivates you and he was in the game too. He wants you to work out and have fun. And kick your a$$ at the game.

Tarzan told me plans of expansion. Maybe a more long term info on players and their lifetime of results. Let's just say he wants more people to join and to make it more of a sport along with it being a work out.

Right now, it's a very active way of burning calories and comparable to a gym. You play a few rounds and you'll definitely fill it. It beats the heck out of seating on a machine at your local gym and reading a book or watching a show while exercising.

Give lasers a shot for just a session.

Lazrfit