A method and system for performing distributed outer loop power control in a wireless communication network are disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining a transmit power for a plurality of transmitting nodes such that signals sent from each of the transmitting nodes are received at a receiver associated with a receiving node at a predetermined signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR) set point, increasing the SINR at the receiving node of one or more transmitting nodes of the plurality of transmitting nodes if a saturation value for a front end of the receiver associated with the receiving node is not near a predetermined saturation value, and decreasing the SINR at the receiving node of the one or more transmitting nodes of the plurality of transmitting nodes if the saturation value for the front end of the receiver associated with the receiving node is near the predetermined saturation value.