Most are suited for about a little wider that shoulder width. Of course adjustments for body type may play into this. Some have a problem with having too wide a grip, which can put unneeded pressure on the shoulder girdle/joints. I've seen collar to collar grips (which I have tried), that may be asking for trouble. A narrower grip would involve the anterior delts & triceps more.
For BB'ing purposes locking out is not required. Nor is full ROM's. Pure BB'ing does not require athletic training, like full stretch/ROM, endurance or even strength. (Personal view....that's all: BB'ing shows/contest are more geared to the subliminal homo erotic impulses in some males to see other males nude or semi nude, in select poses of a passive-aggressive nature). Average guy's who just want to get bigger and stronger, seem to have a more rounded approach to weight training.
Common accepted theory: That vanishing point (brief rest or reduced effort on a muscle during an exercise) that Montague suggest, is to be avoided, if speedy muscle development is the goal. You want a muscle to work at it's fullest capacity, with the max amount of weight used (for the desired reps), in the shortest period of time. This is the famous TUT (Time Under Tension) theme. And never to the point of failure, halting 1 or 2 reps before. The usually middle range of a positive/negative exercise can accomplish this goal.
True partial training is a bit different and is applied best in a PR/Power Cage, 'A' frame, supports, heavy boxes, etc. An even a Smith, for short range movements. A contracting muscle has three phased of effort, start, middle and end (full contraction). Each phase (1-2-3) is worked to it's max effort on an individual bases. And with different weight selection for each phase. Personal choice would be partial PR training. May not work for some, as the above TUT training may not produce any outstanding results. Some guy's get huge with light volume training (pump masters), some guy's lose size. Which only proves the point nothing can work for everyone. Have to find your very own "perfect" training system.
Other than heavy partial training, I find programs like 10X10's and 8X8's work well for me when getting away from the heavier training for awhile. Good Luck.
