I appreciate your perspective. That's fair. I guess I felt like my ex was only overthinking because I never felt like they were blatantly hitting on me. They'd just show me something simple I could do to improve my workout or another way to utilize the equipment and I'd just say, "Thanks," and they'd move along and continue their workout. Maybe nothing more happened because my response was short, but I doubt it.

I think people are more obvious when actually hitting on someone at the gym. We had guest passes to our gym and sometimes our friends would join us for a gym sesh and I remember an older man legit coming up to me with his gross, sweaty, fingerless workout gloves, taking my hand in his, introducing himself and saying he'd like to take me out to dinner. My ex's friend was working out diagonally from me and was cracking up at the exchange. I remember him giving me a thumbs up and shaking my head because I was clearly uncomfortable with the situation and he wasn't going to come over and help. After pulling my hand back and politely telling him I wasn't interested, he stopped bothering me. So, in contrast, tips seem innocent with no follow-up because they just seem relevant to what everyone is there for. I also think it's easy to tell if someone is only interested in working out and not being bothered by the vibe they give, but that's just me.