I'm 34 and I haven't worked out much for about 5 years. I recently started going to the gym 3 times a week but I feel like my belly isn't going down the way I'd like, even though I do notice changes in my arms and back. Is there a specific exercise that works better for the abdominal area or is it more of a diet thing?
Belly fat is one of the last places to lose it from, so it's not that you're not making progress. The thing is, there's no magic exercise that burns fat just from your stomach - your body decides where it loses it from, and that depends way more on diet and calorie deficit than doing ab work. That said, cardio combined with strength training (which you're already doing) helps quite a bit, but I'd check what I'm eating because that's the most important factor. Are you counting calories or just making sure you're eating "healthy"?
Diet is what's really going to make the difference, honestly. Your body burns fat wherever it wants, not where you want it to, so no matter how many abs you do, it won't disappear if you keep eating the same. After 30 your metabolism slows down a bit and your belly tends to accumulate more, but if you lower your overall calorie intake you'll see that the abdominal area eventually gives way, even if it's one of the last places. Keep up the training you're doing but check what you're eating - that's where the key is.
What I can tell you is that in your 30s the metabolism slows down quite a bit, so the problem probably isn't your gym routine but how many calories you're putting in your body daily. Since you've seen changes in your arms and back it means you're actually burning, but belly fat is stubborn by nature - your body releases it when it feels like it, not because you do a thousand crunches.
What helps the most is adjusting what you eat. It's not even about going on a radical diet, just start noticing portions, cut down on ultra-processed foods, get more protein in. Cardio exercise (jogging, biking, whatever) helps, but if you're eating without control at home it all goes down the drain. You're probably fine on the exercise side with the routine you already have at the gym - the bottleneck is in the kitchen.
The other people are right that your body burns fat wherever it wants and that diet is fundamental, but there's something a lot of people miss: after 5 years without exercise, when you go back to the gym 3 times a week, it's normal to see changes in your arms and back first because those muscles respond faster to training. The belly is really the last area to get defined, and that can be demoralizing, but it doesn't mean nothing is happening. What you can do at the gym is put in more resistance work and intense cardio (sprints, burpees, things that get your heart racing) because that really does impact your overall calorie deficit more than just ab work.
The crucial thing is that you actually need to look at what you're eating. It's not just "fewer calories," it's what kind of food. If you eat a good breakfast, get protein at each meal, and cut out the ultra-processed stuff, you're going to see a difference without having to count every gram. At 34, your metabolism isn't what it was, yeah, but it's not destroyed either. What works better is combining things: 3 times at the gym is fine if you put in real intensity, plus more walking on other days (I go out in the mornings and it really makes a difference), and then the diet. Without the right diet, your abs are going to be strong but they're going to be under the fat, invisible.
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