I definitely agree with shedding some body fat first.... not sure I would throw out "12%" as a rule... everyone "wears" bodyfat differently.... maybe 12-15% is a more laxed recommendation. One of the reasons you want less fat is because if you do put on any muscle mass, it will hide under the coat of fat.... so you wouldn't SEE much of your gains.
Also, I don't agree with the recommendation of 12 weeks for a cycle for a newbie, particularly a first-timer... WAY too long... IMO, 8-10 weeks max