Grunts fly as someone tries to bench press a few pounds too many. Across the room sits a treadmill streaked with sweat. Weights clank, falling to the floor just inches away from flip-flop-clad feet.

Welcome to the Student Recreation Fitness Center: a communal, oft-crowded place where expected practices of etiquette and safety sometimes seem nonexistent. But exercising “rec-tiquette” isn’t merely a matter of looking cool. It can help you and the people around you avoid injury and illness.

Practice proper form

A common belief is that the ladies love a heavy lifter. But grunting your way through sets with too much weight can lead to poor form and potential injury. Cardio/resistance training (CRT) specialist and personal trainer Whitney Samuelson says she often sees students using excessive weight on the bench press or squat machines without properly warming up. “A lot of people use a lot of weight to convince themselves—or others—they’re stronger than they really are,” the Moscow, Kan., senior says. “I’ve seen bench press bars fall on people’s chests because their arms weren’t as strong as they thought.”

The squat rack lends itself to adventurous and potentially hazardous lifts. Squatting is one of the easiest exercises to perform incorrectly. “What bothers me is seeing people use horrible form,” says Scott Buess, Wichita senior. “I’ve seen people do some crazy stuff trying to leg squat.”

There’s a simple solution to weight room confusion, and you don’t have to enroll in Weightlifting 101 to discover it. Just ask a CRT specialist (usually wearing a blue T-shirt) for help, and they’ll offer suggestions on form or lend a hand. “We feel like we’re an underutilized resource,” says CRT specialist Eric Jameson. “Helping people out is really why we’re here.”

Avoid gym germs

If the simple fact that sweat is gross doesn’t offer incentive enough to disinfect fitness equipment before and after use, consider some sickening stats: About 30,000 students and faculty are eligible to use the Student Recreation Fitness Center. There are roughly 100 workout machines at the facility. Yep, you’re potentially sharing that treadmill with approximately 300 people.

SRFC employees do their part to wipe down machines on a regular basis, but they often can’t keep up with the constant traffic of exercisers. In a perfect world, each person would clean their elliptical or bike after their workout. But Samuelson says it’s hard for the staff to keep up with the vast number of people coming and going from the gym. That means cleaning each machine before and after your workout is a good rule of thumb.

“The user has a personal responsibility to wipe down the machines,” says KU Student Health Services nursing supervisor Patty Quinlan. “You should never assume that the person before you disinfected the machine.”

It’s no wonder gyms act as a conduit for germs, as Quinlan says the cold winter months cause everyone to bring their workouts inside, “keeping colonies of bacteria closer together.” The easy fix is to disinfect every machine. Quinlan says people should also cover up even the smallest wounds or skin conditions before using communal exercise equipment.

Wear appropriate apparel

Not wearing enough clothing to the gym is a definite no-no. But the practice of sporting inappropriate footwear is still prevalent. It’s only logical: Covering your toes protects them from injury, while wearing sandals is an invitation for a foot-crushing incident.

“It really blows my mind,” Samuelson says. “It’s extremely unsafe, and closed-toe shoes are definitely mandatory anywhere you go to work out.”

Another fitness fashion faux pas is jewelry. This one seems obvious, too, as the more dangly your jewelry is, the more likely you are to end up attached to a piece of workout equipment. “Even the littlest things can get caught,” Samuelson says.

The ideal exercise outfit should fit loosely enough to feel comfortable, but snugly enough to avoid hindering your workout, and look modest enough to not distract others.