For a long time I had decently muscular calves.
I can remember early on in high school liking dips and calf raises, and many times during transfer time or waiting for the bus my freshman, sophomore, and junior years going into the weight room for a quick set or two of each.
By high school graduation I was doing 100 standing calf raises every day as daily PT, I’d done it as a daily discipline earlier than that, and I kept the practice up at least through the summer. Easily 6 months long, probably more.
It was always just from the floor.
As I got good at it it’d be done in less sets, but it does behoove you to work into that.
If you think “I’ve done 100+ before”, but haven’t in months, then do, you’ll have trouble walking.
I must’ve been doing this early on in high school.
I do remember going from 212 to 174 in a year that my calves stayed roughly the same.
That was my first “trick”. My second size trick was the aforementioned high frequency calf raises.
And as I’ve said before calf raises alone are able to maintain the entire lower body for me.
I’ve started the habit up again. It’s most easily done daily.