Should I cut or bulk?

[Spire]

I've been a long-time lurker here, and have recently decided to sign up, participate, and start taking my training a little more seriously.

So, my first post. The age-old question: should I cut, or bulk?

Background:

I am 6'2" and 23 years old.

About 1.5 years ago I was 95kg of fat (weak, skinny dude underneath). Over 3-4 months I managed to drop down to an extremely weak 69kg @ 8-10%.

From there, over the course of a year I started doing weights (not exactly the most effective training or nutrition, mind you) to get myself back up to 93kg @ 21-23%.

14 weeks ago I started taking things more seriously, and started cutting. I got my ass into gear and put myself on a solid program (Starting Strength), upped my cardio (5 times a week), overhauled my nutrition (very clean, roughly 40/30/30 split as I'm an endomorph). I managed to get myself down to 80kg @ 10-12%. This is where I am now (pictures attached).

During my recent cutting phase I have kept increasing my strength for the most part, but my lifts are starting to stall (as is my weight loss, funnily enough). My lifts are not great, but it's a good starting point I guess (Deadlift: 110kg x 5 | Squat: 82kg x 5 | Bench: 65kg x5).

The dilemma I am having is this:

I had planned to cut down to 8% bodyfat, then start clean bulking and cutting back-and-forth between 8 and 14% to gradually build strength and size over the next few years.. but, I'm now having second thoughts.

a) Christmas is coming up, and it's subsequently going to be much harder to drop more fat during the next 3-4 weeks (especially since I seem to be stuck at around 10-12% for the past few weeks).

b) My strength gains are stalling, which is demoralising and takes a lot of the fun out of training.

c) I'm starting to think that if I have a stronger/bigger foundation of muscle, I might find it easier to cut later on, especially to my eventual goal of 8% (which seems very difficult to achieve right now).

So, the questions (yes, I lied, there is more than one question):

1. Referring to my pictures, does 10-12% seem to be accurate for my bodyfat? (Keep in mind I'm an endo, and tend to store the last bit of fat around my midsection. Also, I'm tensing my abs slightly in the pictures, if that makes a difference.)

2. Should I keep cutting down to 8% like my original plans, or start making the transition from cutting to clean bulking (ie: reducing cardio, upping calories)?

3. If clean bulking, what goal should I clean bulk until? Maybe until I'm 15% bodyfat (I want to stay presentable, and more than 15% makes me feel like a slob and like my old, fatter self)? Or maybe until a certain goal weight such as 90kg?

I just re-read this post, and it's ****ing huge. Sorry about that.

[Skies]

Clean bulk, if its very clean, and controlled aka, you find a good diet plan that allows for muscle gain and minimal fat gain (will require experimenting) and eat the same amount everyday, fat gain won't be a problem

but its up to you, if you want abs, and would prefer bulking at a lower BF level, then keep cutting untill you hit 8%, and clean bulk from there

but that depends on how much you're bothered about carrying some fat

[TJ2000]

bulk some more but if your worried about fat gain do a little cardio or eat cleaner.

[Messiahtype]

No offense dude, but instead of worrying about bulking/cutting...just eat and lift and eat and lift and eat and lift. You are at no point of worrying about a cut or a bulk. Lift some weights first. You look like you never have.

Everyone wants to jump in, workout for a couple months, and then ask about bulking/cutting. Cutting to what? Get something to show before you worry about cutting. Nobody wants to look at someone with 6% bodyfat and no muscle.

Lift heavy
Eat when you're hungry
Hit your macros each day
Lift heavier
repeat

Don't put the cart in front of the horse.

[boon9484]

Nobody wants to look at someone with 6% bodyfat and no muscle.

Tell me about it HAHA

Time for some more carbs & meat!

[Messiahtype]

Tell me about it HAHA

Time for some more carbs & meat!

5'10", 124 lbs

Is that real?

If so, are you Celestino Caballero?

[The Big Sleep]

ME and you are in very similar dilemmas man, and I think Messiahtype said it right...its best to just hit weights hard and eat hard to basically shock the body into growing. I've been lifting HARD for almost 3 years now, but I've eaten like a pansy and you can hardly tell by looking at me that I lift like its my life. Just worry about hitting your macros and lifting CONSISTENTLY and you WILL progress.

[OwneD.TBH]

you defo need to bulk up before cutting

[Spire]

Thanks for the advice, guys.

It definitely seems obvious what my strategy should be now: clean bulking while keeping diet/cardio in check so to not gain too much fat.

My overall goal is to get stronger and bigger (there's more specifics to it than that, but that's the general idea). Once I reach my goal weight I'll go for a low bodyfat and six-pack then. Like others said, no point getting it now when I'm nowhere near big enough, and I'll just lose it once I go back to long-term caloric surplus anyway.

How do reps work around here? Is it appropriate to rep the people who have given me advice - or are they reserved for more epic achievements?