Jumping Exercises
Before you can learn how to jump higher you need to understand a couple of things about muscles. Our muscles are actually able to store energy in them for very short period of time and you can learn how to use this stored energy as fuel to jump higher.
Our muscles act as springs and while a spring is compressed it has potential energy that is ready to fire when we let go of it. Well this happens in the muscles of our legs when we bend at the knees before jumping.
What you are doing is essentially loading the spring. Your muscles feel a stretch and that results in what is called the golgi tendon reflex that makes that muscles want to spring.
So this is where a proper jump training program comes into play. Plyometrics can cause that reaction to fire with much more power which results in you jumping much higher. Don't think that lifting weights is all you need to get air. You don't see many bodybuilders dunking do you?
You do need strong legs and tendons before you start an intense jumping routine. Plyometrics will train your muscles to all fire at the exact same time and this will make you jump higher.
So the first thing you need to do is strengthen your legs the old fashioned way. Squatting 125% your body weight 8 times in 8 seconds is a good goal to accomplish before doing plyos.
Once your legs are strong enough you need to realize that plyometrics are to be done when the legs are fresh. Don't do them after a leg workout and don't do them when you are still sore. Your legs need to be fresh. I can't stress this enough.