Q: Hi mike! I have asked a few questions so thanks again for all of your help. I am 5'8 22 male and i weigh 148 lbs. I have been traing for about eight or nine months. I am the guy who can only see his abs well when i flex from question 1483. I just did an online body fat percentage, with my new fat caliper. The site told me i had 13.7% body fat. Can this be accurate even though I can see my abs when I flex? And with that in mind would you still recomend I gain around fifteen to 20 lbs slowly and then cut back to decrease my body fat percentage?

A: Calipers, even though they're about the best fat-measure available, are still not very precise and 1-2% errors are common even if measured by a pro. For you to see abs well when flexed you have to be close to 10% body fat and I'd say definitely no more than 12%.

Ultimately, the decision of whether you have 'too much' fat on you is entirely up to you and as you bulk you may hit the point when you decide that you don't want to gain more fat. If that happens you can switch gears and start the cut. But all other things being equal I'd still recommend bulking up to 160-165 and then cutting back to close to your current weight. Just remember to gain no faster than 1 pound every 2 weeks and to cut no faster than 1 pound per week.