A genuinely expert-led, hands-on review operation with real sport-science credentials, but affiliate commissions and free-product receipt from brands are baked into the model, and per-review disclosure of product sourcing is inconsistent enough that readers cannot always tell whether a tested item was purchased independently or gifted.
What it's really for Drive affiliate sales and training-program purchases by positioning the brand as a credible, expert-led equipment authority for competitive and recreational weightlifters.
What our grade covers The grade on this page is about Weightlifting and strength-training equipment (barbells, shoes, plates, racks, accessories), supplements, and training gear, not everything the site does.
Medium Scoring Confidence Mostly sourced, but a detail or two still needs a primary source, so the grade could shift slightly.
The site earns affiliate commissions when readers click links and buy reviewed products from Amazon or direct brand partners; it also receives products free of charge for testing. The affiliate disclaimer page (torokhtiy.com/pages/affiliate-disclaimer) states both practices explicitly. Free products and commission relationships tie reviewer income to the same brands being rated.
Source →- Operating since
- 2017 (9 years) · source
- What it costs you
- Free to read The reviews are free to read.
- How they make money
- Affiliate commissions (Amazon Associates and direct brand partnerships) plus sales of training programs, masterclasses, and a subscription membership ("Torokhtiy Club").
- What they do
- Publishes hands-on equipment reviews of barbells, weightlifting shoes, platforms, racks, and accessories, plus supplements and training gear, with documented evaluation criteria. Reviews are written by a team that includes Olympians, PhDs in sport science, certified coaches, and nutritionists led by Sergii Putsov (Ph.D., former national-team weightlifter).
- What to watch for
- Does not disclose whether individual reviewed products were purchased by the team or supplied free by brands in a consistent, per-review manner. Receives free products for testing and earns affiliate commissions on purchases, creating financial ties to the brands it rates. The "How We Make Our Product Reviews" methodology page returned 404 at time of review, so the full rubric could not be independently verified.
- Composite score
- 3.00 / 5.00 → grade B-
How the grade was reached
Does the site take money from the very entities it ranks? Pay-for-placement, vendor-funded data, and affiliate commissions all pull this down. The less the ranking can be bought, the higher the score.
What is the ranking actually built on? Hands-on testing scores highest, then verified first-hand reviews, then opinion or popularity surveys and self-reported figures, then pay-to-rank, which scores lowest.
Is the methodology published, specific, and reproducible? Can a reader see how a given rank was reached, or is it a black box?
Are commercial relationships, sponsorships, and affiliate arrangements disclosed clearly and near the rankings themselves, rather than buried?
How hard is it to game? Controls against fake reviews, solicited reviews, and vendor gaming raise this; an open box anyone can stuff lowers it.
Evidence
- Torokhtiy's affiliate disclaimer page states the site earns commissions when readers purchase through links, receives products at no cost for testing, and enters paid collaborations with brand partners, all while claiming these relationships do not influence review integrity. Source: Torokhtiy Affiliate Disclaimer →
- The site homepage footer states 'As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases' and links to both an affiliate disclaimer and a 'How We Make Our Product Reviews' methodology page, indicating at least surface-level disclosure infrastructure. Source: Torokhtiy Homepage Footer →
- The About page identifies TORWOD LLC (Sheridan, Wyoming) as the operating entity and Sergii Putsov (Ph.D., International Olympic Academy; former national-team weightlifter) as head of sport science, with a stated team of Olympians, PhDs, certified coaches, and nutritionists. Source: Torokhtiy About Page →
- The reviews index page lists equipment, supplement, and apparel categories with a footer link to methodology documentation, but individual review pages visited did not surface consistent per-review disclosure of whether products were purchased or received free. Source: Torokhtiy Reviews Index →