Bar on the knees, soleus on notice.
Pad the bar and keep it over your knees, all the motion happens at the ankle.
Sitting with knees bent slackens the gastrocnemius, the big calf muscle that crosses the knee, which leaves the soleus underneath to do the lifting. That deep muscle responds to exactly this setup, ankle-only motion under load with a long stretch at the bottom. It earns a permanent slot because standing calf work alone leaves the soleus, and a chunk of lower-leg size, on the table.
Standing raises with straight legs load the gastrocnemius, but bending the knees shifts the work to the soleus, a separate muscle that standing work largely misses. Training both is how complete calves get built.
Wrap the bar in a thick pad or folded towel and position it over the lower thigh just behind the knees, then hold it steady with your hands. Comfort matters here because the set should be long and controlled.
Slow and deliberate, especially the lowering into the stretch. Bouncing out of the bottom hands the work to the tendons instead of the muscle. Sink the heels deep, pause, then press up as high as you can.
