Meet Our Team
At Montana Performance Labs, our team combines high-level coaching experience with a deep understanding of performance development. With over 18 years of combined experience in strength and conditioning and sports performance, co-founders Justin Whitten and Zac Salvat have worked with athletes ranging from youth and high school to Division I and professional levels, helping individuals build strength, improve movement, and perform at their highest level.
Built on a shared passion for coaching, community, and long-term athletic development, MPL was created to provide a high-performance training environment for athletes and adults alike.
Justin Whitten, PhD, CSCS
Co-Founder & Director of Sports Science
Justin combines scientific expertise with real-world coaching experience to help athletes and adults train with purpose. A former nationally ranked collegiate powerlifter and Muay Thai fighter, he began his coaching career at Big Sky Barbell before moving into sports performance roles at Prime Performance & Physio and Montana State University Athletics.
He earned his PhD in Exercise Science with a focus in biomechanics and motor control and has worked with Montana State Football, Basketball, Volleyball, and additional programs as a Strength Coach and Consulting Sports Scientist. Justin currently serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Strength & Conditioning program at Montana State University and as Director of Sports Performance for Montana State Rugby and Manhattan High School.
Zac “Coach Sal” Salvat
Co-Founder & Director of Sports Performance
Coach Sal brings a high-energy coaching style and extensive experience developing athletes across multiple levels of sport. A former All-State football and track athlete, Zac played collegiate football at Orange Coast College before transferring to Montana State University to study kinesiology.
A National Champion Olympic Weightlifter (96kg, 2019), Zac transitioned into coaching and leadership roles at The Pitt in Bozeman and later served as Head Strength Coach at Gallatin High School. From 2020–2024, he helped develop multiple state championship teams, Division I recruits, and several Gatorade Players of the Year. Zac also volunteers with Big Sky Bravery, a nonprofit supporting Special Operations soldiers.