This, as well as “What’s a good lift for my weight class?” are two of the most common questions I get from lifters who are considering competing.
My answers are always the same. For the first question I recommend that you attend a meet to see what you’re in store for before you commit. Meets can be very long days so you need to be able to time your warm ups, rest, and meal prep accordingly. You also need to know the rules and to understand how the flights are set up. The most common mistake I see from first time competitors is forgetting to wait for the judge’s commands. Few meet experiences can be more upsetting than making a lift, but getting red lights for not paying attention. Once you know what to expect I see no reason not to compete to be able to set a benchmark as well as goals for future meets.
For the second question my reply is always Whatever your best lift is on that day is a good lift for you. Powerlifting provides a great opportunity to improve on yourself, to set and achieve goals, and to build physical strength and self confidence at the same time. However, if you’re trying to compare yourself to others, then it can very easily do the opposite. This is even more difficult to do now with social media. I realize it’s human nature, but we are all unique. If we were like the people we try to compare ourselves to, then we would lose our uniqueness. Realizing that there will always be someone better than you, but using this as a healthy way to use human potential for motivation can help. Ultimately focusing on trying to be the best you can be will be a lot more rewarding in the long run than constantly trying to be better than someone else.
Lift heavy, have fun, and don't get discouraged. No one is a better you than you.