Mass Phase

I've been on a mass phase for the past 2 years and finally gained 20lbs and only 4% body fat. That's pretty darn good compared to how I gained weight back in 2003. I mostly gained body fat back in the days. Now, I've been eating pretty good. A little cheating here and there but not junk food. I mostly consume sweet potatoes, brown rice, pasta, broccoli, steak, chicken, fish, and peanut butter. My current weight is 176lbs. I'm shooting for 180 by the end of the month. From December, I will be on a cutting phase presumably for 12 weeks. It will be hell but I'll do my best. I'll probably be in the best condition of my life. I'm shooting to compete in March and this will be my first show. My goal is to step on stage between 155 & 160lbs. I want to keep as much muscle mass as possible. The past two years on my cutting phase, I wasn't really smart with my nutrition and ended up losing a lot of my mass. I also incorporated too much cardio.This time around, I'll be doing less cardio and focusing more on protein and dark green veggies.