Q: By the navy body fat % calculator, my body fat is around 11% at 136 lbs at 5'9 height. I have heard that for six pack abs, you need to go lower to about 7-8% body fat. So i should lose more weight or go on a dirty bulk and then cut slowly?

A: At 5'9" and 136 pounds you are quite close to being underweight, so I would definitely recommend a slow, clean (not dirty) bulk. Aim to gain about 1 pound of weight every 2 weeks. Once you are up to 150 pounds or more, then you can re-evaluate and perhaps restart your cut.

The key to a successful bulk is to continue to eat the same healthy, balanced, protein-rich diet that you followed during a cut, just with somewhat more calories and complex carbs (e.g. brown rice). The level of calories should be just enough for a very slow weight gain. If you eat too many calories and gain weight too quickly then you'll just end up with a lot of new unwanted fat. And of course, if you don't eat enough calories, then you simply won't gain weight or much new muscle.

Keep an eye on your weight and adjust calories up or down every few weeks to keep yourself on that 1-pound-gained-every-2-weeks pace. If you are completely unsure what calorie level to start, add about 500 calories daily to what you were eating before, mostly in the form of carbs and start there. And of course, you have to continue heavy whole-body weight training if you want the new pounds to be muscle.