Advice, please?

[apr27]

Hey all!

Just started to take my routine and diet more seriously. I'm 5'6" and I just weighed in at 160.8 lbs. So, a few things..

-Can I get an estimate on my body fat%?
-I've always wanted a visible 6 pack, so cutting makes more sense to me. I was planning on a cutting (155 ish ?) and then doing a slow bulk. However, would you maybe advise a bulk and then cut? Thoughts?
-Any input is great. I'm not too tall, so I dont want to get too big. I just want to look lean.

I appreciate any advice or thoughts you can give to me.

Thanks for your time,

Alex

[Dpanthers14]

I have the same goal as you wanting viable abs, here is my post on what I accomplished in a month of just maintaining calories and hitting the gym no less than 4 times a week also doing a ton of weighted abs. You'll first have to get your body fat percentage low enough for them to show but also you'll have to build them up big enough for them to pop.

add a h to the beginning of this to see the post ttp://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=151090623

my estimate is around 18% body fat but take that with a grain of salt I could be way off.
You and me are both in the same boat being short and I also don't want to get too big but just wanting to look lean and fit, so I'd just keep maintaining a lean diet and calories and hitting the gym and do weighted ab workouts to make them pop.
just my 2 cents!

[9inchcalves]

everybody has abs its whether your bodyfat is low enough to see them....... the ONLY thing that will get you abs is a correct diet... and genetics of course... ive never done an ab crunch or a minute of cardio and ive always had a 6 pack

but i would suggest to you to not get into the whole bulking and cutting phases because to me it looks like you are just starting out... just lift 5 days a week hour each day with a basic chest monday, back tuesday. etc and your body will fill out and you will lose fat just by doing that

and eat 5-6 meals a day, always a carb and protein... for example
breakfast - 4 eggs, 2 pieces of oatnut or wheat toast and an orange
lunch - 8 oz steak , 1 cup of white rice
and so on

[Partyrocking]

I would say around 17%. I think you can go either way in terms of when to bulk and when to cut, but I wouldn't cut too much right now given your size.

[apr27]

but i would suggest to you to not get into the whole bulking and cutting phases because to me it looks like you are just starting out... just lift 5 days a week hour each day with a basic chest monday, back tuesday. etc and your body will fill out and you will lose fat just by doing that

I see your point. Unfortunately, I not really just starting out. I would say my attention to diet and lifting have been mutually exclusive events over the past 4 years or so.

[apr27]

I would say around 17%. I think you can go either way in terms of when to bulk and when to cut, but I wouldn't cut too much right now given your size.

So, I don't look skinny or too scrawny?