Muscle Contraction (Meta)

Fun metanism and an answer that fits neatly with the theme ! I picked how to do the first step while filling the grid with [36A] but the second step was a bit harder. I found the RIDER/CUT connection less clear than the others.

Nice debut puz, Dave! Hope you'll do more. :D

Excellent debut, Dave! Keep 'em comin'! We're always looking for new constructors' metas at SSS too.

Enjoyed it, Dave! Thanks!

Lovely debut, Dave! Clean grid, clever cluing and a nice mechanism. Thanks for the puzzle!

A very fine and fun debut. Thank you.

Wonderful debut meta, Davy!! LOL I spent more time than I'd like to admit wondering what or who the heck INRA is LOL. (and that's completely on me, not you, of course) Hope this is the first of many metas - thanks!

Great debut! Nice twist on the letter order.

Tricky step! Well done.

Nice debut!

Excellent!

Really nice job of tying the meta to the title and hiding the words within the words. It probably was not lost on many that your graphic depicts the muscle groups being exercised - nice! Luckily I knew who Hector "Macho" Camacho is so that my EROS for Cupid did not confuse me long (I thought for a minute people were getting paid in CELERY and Pirate costumes included a CASK).

Enjoyed it immensely and I am having a hard time grasping that this was your FIRST - EXCELLENT

Astonishing debut, Dave! Wonderful puzzle!

Excellent MMM Dave! Glad for the mental exercise and not to have suffered days of brain cramping. Next time we are stuck with Isaac on the WSJCC, I'll cover your bar bell, er bill. Thanks and hope to see more!

Never having lifted a weight, I found it comforting that the important part was the part that was not muscle. I did once tear my gastrocnemius so I kept looking for it in the grid and not finding it. Nice puzzle. I hope you'll be in the starting rotation from here on.

Flawless execution. Congratulations.

Great debut! Give this guy his own Muggle category right now.

Definitely out of my wheelhouse but still able to enjoy it greatly! Excellent first! Thanks, Dave!

Well done! Title matches the metanism and the meta answer, themers are clearly spottable and symmetrical, all the things I'm looking for in a meta.

Great first puzzle - thank you!

Late to the party (as I have been all semester it seems), but insta-solve once I got around to it (spotted G[LENS]LUTE while filing the grid). Very tidy indeed, especially for a debut. Fun stuff, thanks. :)

Very nice puzzle! Thank you!

Enjoyable puzzle with a well-executed mechanism. The title was very helpful - first in leading me to look for a contraction of the name of a muscle within the themers. And once I saw that the remaining letters were words, then the succeeding steps played out as expected - with the answer again related to the title. Very well done. I did this on the recommendation of the Friday Zoom group, and it was well worth my while.

Fun!

Got to the puzzle late...no nudges needed. Thanks Dave!