Getting a bigger, more defined chest is a goal of many bodybuilders. The problem is that most people don't train the chest muscles the right way. Bodybuilders are notorious for training for 2 to 3 hours during each exercise session. Some people can run a marathon faster than that. These guys are building up exceptional levels of muscular endurance, able to hoist weights for hours on end. But muscular strength and hypertrophy are attained by wildly different routines than the typical marathon session in the weight room.
First, let's consider what not to do. Spend 2 hours in the gym and do 20+ sets of chest exercises, in no particular order, while taking about 5 minutes between sets to rest and and chat with your lifting partners. It's no wonder that so many builders have trouble gaining chest mass they're breaking all of the established rules of exercise physiology that dictate muscular growth.
People with routines similar to the one described above need to dump this routine completely and build a brand new routine from scratch a routine that is short and sweet, and extremely effective.
For starters, let's establish a few rules:
Rule #1: No more than 8-10 sets of chest exercises
Rule #2: Exercises are performed in a particular order
Rule #3: No more than 1 minute of rest between sets
Rule #4: Chest day takes 30 minutes to complete
The chest needs plenty of work to get bigger. About 8 to 10 sets worth. That's more than enough. There are two reasons for this. You need 8-10 sets in order to vary your routine with exercises that target different areas of the chest. 3 sets of 3 different exercises works nicely.  However, if you start to venture into 15 to 20 set territory, you have to pace yourself to finish the workout. Pacing is a great strategy for a marathon, but a poor one for bodybuilding. Each set needs to be performed to absolute muscular failure for maximum benefit. The only way to complete 20 sets of any exercise is to give a less than 100% effort. Trust me, if you do 10 sets to absolute muscular failure, you'll be spent.
These 8 to 10 sets also need to be performed in the correct order. You can't just walk in the gym and make stuff up. Always start with an upper chest exercise like an incline dumbbell press or incline bench press. Then, progress on to the mid-chest with exercises like the flat presses. Finally, work the lower chest with dips and cable crossovers. Most people have an underdeveloped upper chest when compared to the mid and lower parts. So, you should start your routine with an upper chest exercise when you're fresh. If performed in the opposite order, you'll already be fatigued before you get to the area where you should be giving the most effort.
Next, let's talk about the rest periods between sets. Most people think that your working sets are important and the rest periods are not.  In fact, the amount of rest you take between sets has an enormous influence on your muscle adaptation. Long rest periods are not conducive to muscle growth since it hinders mitochondria and blood vessel growth. Rest periods shorter than 1 minute are great for muscle endurance but not hypertrophy since you won't be recovered enough to produce a strong effort.
Finally, if you follow all of the principles above, you will be in and out of the gym in 30 minutes, not 2 hours. With a 30 minute workout including breaks you can go as hard as possible without reaching exhaustion.  This means 100% effort on every set. This is the best way to achieve muscle growth. In addition, the best part is that you'll find yourself with more free time to do other things besides spending half of your day in the weight room.
Coupled with effective work out routines should be a healthy diet. Choose foods rich in natural vitamins , sometimes referred to as whole food vitamins . Concentrate on fruits vegetables, lean meats, legumes and nuts. Choose whole grains and low fat dairy products. While vitamin supplements are okay, they definitely do not provide the body with the natural nutrition it requires to prosper. Look for concentrated whole food supplements such as natural aloe vera juice , which is rich in phytonutrients and a wonderful addition to a protein smoothie. All things being equal, expect quicker results if following these guidelines.
 

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