I've always hated my shoulders and arms. My shoulders look so broad and my arms are jiggly. Being overweight makes your shoulders look more broad, right? I want to lift weights to get rid of the fat I seem to carry in that area. Would that make them leaner or just bulk them up? I want to work on them but I'm scared I'll turn into a beast. ;P

Building muscle under the fat layer can make a person look a little bit larger sometimes. But once the fat comes off that part of your body, then lean and sculpted arms and shoulders are left in its place.

That's the key: build muscle but lose the fat. Unfortunately, you can't choose where you lose fat—your body decides that for you based on genetics—but the weight will come off the shoulders and arms with time, and when it does, you will have the look you are going for.

I've lifted heavy weights and I've never gotten any bulkier than I already am. If you wanted to turn into a 'beast', it would take many years of dedication lifting heavy weights and the right hormones. It doesn't happen by accident overnight.

It's true what Petite Powerhouse said about genetics.

I have lost most of my excess weight and now my shoulders are very thin. In fact, they look bony to me. But my upper arms are still fleshy and hold extra fat.

You win some, you lose some.

Lifting weights does help, but you can't really spot reduce fat. A common misconception (and one that I had, as well) is that you can turn fat into muscle. That's like saying you could turn cartilige into bone. Muscle and fat are two completely types of body matter...you burn fat and gain muscle, you cannot turn one into the other. (A lot of people also think that if they don't work out, their muscles turn into fat. Your muscles weaken and that can cause a flabby appearance, but there is no cellular change that causes a conversion of muscle into fat.)

Knowing this made me a little bit more reasonable in my expectations. I know now that even if I lift weights day and night, it won't necessarily make my arms unless less fat...it will build muscle, but the fat will have to be lost just like fat in another area of my body.

Lifting weights during weight loss is an investment in the future if you have a lot to lose. You might not necessarily see the results immediately or quickly or even soon...but once the fat comes off, your arms will look MUCH better than if you hadn't lifted.

To add to what has already been said, when losing weight, as much as 40% of what you lose could actually be muscle if you are not strength training. Knowing that really spurred me on. I strength train routinely and heavily hoping to KEEP muscle. Now that the fat is melting away, I have noticed that my arms are sculpted and defined. It's really nice and I'm proud of them. I've never worn tank tops in my life until this year.