Sir Isaac Newton's third law of motion--for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction--is the exercise science behind jumping. If you drop a bouncy ball or basketball on the ground, it will bounce a little. If you throw it down hard, it will bounce up high. The same principle applies to your body. The faster you descend when you jump, the higher you go. Use exercises that will improve your jump quickly without over-training.
Form
Check your form when you jump. In your starting position, extend your arms over your head. Look up and stand on your toes. Start the jump by quickly bringing your arms down. Let your head and chest come forward while your knees bend. At this point, your hands should be behind your hips. Jump up in one explosive movement.
Box Squats with Bands
Use box squats with bands to improve your jump. To do a box squat, stand in front of a box or platform and squat down on it, holding a barbell on your back. Attach a band at each end of the barbell and to the floor. Squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground; adjust the height of the platform to meet this requirement. After your glutes and thighs touch the platform, pause and explode up. This exercise speeds up the eccentric part of your squats. The eccentric part of a squat occurs when you lower toward the ground. The extra resistance from the bands teaches you to descend faster when you jump. They also teach you to ascend faster. As you get to the top of the squat, there is more tension on the bands. This increased resistance compels you to use more force when you stand up. You will have a stronger explosion when you jump, causing your jump height to increase.
Depth Jumps
To perform depth jumps, stand on a box that is 6 inches to 24 inches from the ground. Use a box that's 6-inches high if you're a beginner. Look straight ahead, and step off the box. When you touch the ground, immediately jump up. When you step off the box, land bent forward--land softly, with slightly bent knees. Use a box height appropriate to your athletic ability. If the box you jump off is too high, it will take you too long to jump up after you land. This defeats the purpose of the exercise.
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